By James Dostoyevsky
UEFA is in a quagmire of its own making and one that is much welcomed by Gianni Infantino, the ‘little child’, who ascended to the FIFA Emperor’s Throne, only to stumble from blunder to blunder, with no end in sight.
UEFA’s reality is pretty dire, were it not for the technocrat Theo Theodoridis who is successfully steering the damaged vessel of European football through some pretty rough waters (this publication has been highly critical of him, but this author feels that the sins of the fathers should not affect the lives of the sons).
Without a president or a formally appointed General Secretary in charge, with former president Michel Platini banned for good and having announced his resignation, and with one proud Spaniard Angel Maria Villar-Llona not only officially the head of Europe’s game, but also having thrown his hat into the ring to be elected UEFA’s new – longer term – president (surely, he must be delusional to assume that he is a “papabile”), things look unpalatable at best.
The field of would-be UEFA presidents is widening by the day, with Michael Van Praag of Holland now also shooting for the top job (with a caveat or two, but the charisma of a lonely cactus). The inevitable Swede is apparently about to join the fray as well, while ‘the little child’s’ apparent favourite choice is as predictable as the pay-back gifts and goodies he keeps dishing out to loyal sycophants ever since he was elected president.
France’s Le Monde published a daring analysis of the future one can expect at UEFA, shortly before CAS ruled out Platini forever: what Le Monde hypothesized was that it is very much in Infantino’s interest to delay a new UEFA election because chaos, as we know, creates opportunity. And the opportunity to merge the two traditional foes – FIFA and UEFA – is a project dear to Infantino’s heart. Some say it comes close to a wet dream.
The French at Le Monde have opined that Infantino’s choice would be one Portuguese football apparatchik by the name of Fernando Gomes, whose sweet ties link him to superagent Jorge Mendes and the money-men at Doyen Sports. Why? Because they hyper actively supported good old Gianni’s FIFA election campaign, which made him a “winner” although nearly half of world football did not vote him in.
There goes the new old guard for you, and the new old ways of a new old FIFA, except that the new old cronies are no better than some of those miserable old ‘farts’ whose sole role in life was self-aggrandisement (Leoz) and maximum self-enrichment (all of CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, literally), above all else.
Avoiding the kiss of death
The problem is that good old young Infantino’s mutterings about a new UEFA president might actually be a kiss of death for the candidate who gets his blessings: Infantino’s recent conduct is not only reminiscent of Blatterian ways, it simply is exactly that: a carbon-copy of Blatter’s making (with SB’s clandestine support for the new president that will be the topic for another piece, in good time).
Among the growing list of candidates for this UEFA election, one finds the usual faces (Villar), the wannabees who already failed once (Van Praag), the favour-collectors (Gomes) and the always righteous by definition of nationality alone (a Swede, any Swede).
But there just might be another option in case he decides to run, which at present, is undecided. One man who has not declared as yet, is a man who could actually not only win hands down but create what FIFA is clearly incapable of: a new way to a better future.
What FIFA-watchers have always demanded were new faces, even people who were not in football, so as to guarantee a new beginning without the smell of corruption and nepotism, without the favouritism and predictable distribution of spoils to those “who proved useful in the past”.
Well, that one hasn’t work out too well so far at FIFA, has it? With a staunch Blatterite soon at the helm and at Infantino’s beck and call (only the super naïve would believe that the African lady diplomat would really have the freedom of action that she must and should have), who did the the new FIFA president bring in next – Norwegian warrior of sorts, Kjetil Siem. His background in South African is, let’s be kind, a bit spotty. But with a left-handed move or two at the Mexico Congress in the bag, Infantino may feel comfortable these days – he can do anything. He shouldn’t be.
Siem is what defines Infantino so far: sordid mediocrity and pliable backbone that directs itself by the winds of opportunism – not daring, innovative or changing leadership.
There is a face in UEFA’s ranks though that might look good as a new leader. That man is Aleksander Čeferin of Slovenia, a little Mediterranean country south of Austria on the Adriatic Sea. Čeferin is young enough to bear a promise and seasoned enough to put his foot down, professional enough to understand mad Europe, and qualified enough to preside over the European game. But will he stand? That’s a different question.
It is unclear whether Čeferin will step forward and take on an increasingly cramped field of UEFA candidates. UEFA needs new blood, and Čeferin could well be that new blood. Some observers believe he may go for it. Others are uncertain. Let’s wait and see but there is not much time to see who’s who in this UEFA field of candidates: deadline is July 20 to declare. And September 15 is election day in Athens.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734933493labto1734933493ofdlr1734933493owedi1734933493sni@o1734933493fni1734933493