“Infantino went beyond recognising legitimacy… he endorsed President Trump’s political programme.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been accused of a “clear violation” of FIFA’s neutrality statutes after appearing to endorse U.S. president Donald Trump’s political agenda, according to The Athletic reporting.
Speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Infantino praised Trump, saying, “We should all support what he’s doing because I think it’s looking good.” The remarks, made in his capacity as FIFA president, sparked criticism from Miguel Maduro, former chairman of FIFA’s governance committee, who said Infantino’s comments breached Article 15 of FIFA’s Code of Ethics on political neutrality.
Maduro told The Athletic: “Infantino went beyond recognising legitimacy. He endorsed President Trump’s political programme and argued others should support it too. That’s a clear violation of neutrality.”
FIFA declined to comment on the accusations. Under its statutes, violations of neutrality could trigger an investigation by the Ethics Committee, which has the power to impose sanctions ranging from fines to bans on football activities.
Infantino’s comments came the same day FIFA unveiled its “FIFA Peace Prize,” which he said would honour efforts to “end conflicts and bring people together.” At the Miami event, Infantino hinted Trump could receive the award at December’s World Cup draw in Washington.