By Andrew Warshaw
January 19 – FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino is confident Caribbean support can push him over the line when he contests the election on February 26.
Infantino, who is somehow having to combine his lobbying campaign with his day-to-day duties as UEFA general secretary, attended a meeting on Sunday of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), which has 25 votes.
Much has been made of a prospective deal between Infantino and Asian football chief Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the emerging favourite, so that the pair would not have to split the vote. One growing theory is that Infantino will end up becoming FIFA general secretary under Salman’s presidency.
But he dismisses this and says he will not be pulling out.
“I am going for the win. I am the candidate for the presidency and this support gives me even more responsibility and even more will to go until the end to become president of FIFA,” he told Reuters.
“I am candidate for president not for general secretary and I have support from all over the world and many more will come out.”
Barbados FA president Randy Harris said Infantino’s message about increased funding for development programmes in smaller FIFA nations had been particularly well received even though other candidates have issued similar pledges. Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein and Jerome Champagne were also at the Antigua meeting and reportedly also proposed increased funding.
“His platform is about football and improving the game and of course a small country like Barbados we need that kind of vision,” said Harris.
Infantino said that Barbados’ backing was highly significant. “I think it is the first open support to any of the candidates from outside of their ‘own continent’,” he said.
He said his manifesto, unveiled publicly this week – just as UEFA’s executive committee convenes in Switzerland – had been at the heart of his presentation to Caribbean members.
“I spoke about reforms that are needed for FIFA, I spoke about having associations participate much more in FIFA life, for FIFA to become a real democracy,” he said.
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