By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – The spending plans of FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino, which have already been questioned by his main rival Shaikh Salman, have come under further scrutiny, this time from election outsider Jerome Champagne.
Infantino has promised to distribute $5 million every four years to each federation for football development, plus $40 million to each of the six continental confederations over the same period.
The Swiss, who has been running the day-to-day activities of UEFA as general secretary for seven years, insists his proposals are entirely feasible and could be achieved by savings in FIFA and possibly an increase in revenue.
But Champagne says they could add an extra $900 million to FIFA’s expenditure and are financially “dangerous”.
There is no love lost between Champagne and UEFA and in his final correspondence to FIFA’s 209 member national associations ahead of Friday’s vote, Champagne does not mince his words, saying Infantino had made “tempting proposals on paper, which in reality are very dangerous”.
“FIFA is currently going through a difficult period with a deficit of about $100 million in 2015,” and “many contracts with economic partners that remain unsigned to date, a worst-case projected reduction in income of $600 million until 2018, and the possibility of a fine at the end of the ongoing investigations,” Champagne wrote.
“It seems therefore ludicrous to promise nearly a billion dollars with political and electoral objectives, after having criticised FIFA and President Blatter for years on the alleged grounds that he received votes in exchange for development programs.
“The situation requires that we employ very careful management, and a significant reduction of administrative costs, until the smoke clears and we have a clear handle on the financial future of FIFA.”
Infantino’s campaign organisers responded by saying he had the financial nous to know exactly what he was doing.
“He’s absolutely sure his proposals are feasible and … will be easy to put in place considering that we’re talking about reinvesting back into football development $1.2 billion out of $5.5 billion revenues,” they said in a statement. “That’s in fact what FIFA should be all about. Football development, not politics, political intrigues or personal attacks.
“Gianni Infantino knows how much it costs to organise a European championship or a World Cup. He know what the personnel and consultancy costs are in FIFA and in UEFA.”
In his letter, Champagne also took a swipe at those who want to see the end of FIFA as an institution.
“Unlike my opponents who have never stopped attacking FIFA, or who have always fought to subdue it, I have always defended FIFA and will continue to do so,” he wrote.
With lobbying intensifying in the final five days, Infantino, who had no aspirations to lead FIFA until his boss, Michel Platini, was barred, has described the coming week as “the most significant in FIFA’s 112 year history.”
“The 209 Member Associations have the ability to define not just their own destiny, but also that of FIFA and global football,” he said.
Describing himself as “a candidate of genuine reform, rooted in integrity with a real vision for the future – and with proven experience to bring growth and development to the benefit the whole football family,” Infantino issued a rallying call to any wavering voters.
“By the end of this week we will know whether FIFA has taken a full step towards reform, greater transparency and a new era for the world’s most played and watched sport. A huge amount is at stake…. this is truly a crossroads moment for football’s world governing body.”
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