Former UEFA president Michel Platini has sharply criticized current FIFA president Gianni Infantino, claiming that under his leadership the organization has moved even further away from core football values and become less democratic than during the era of Sepp Blatter.
As reported by Idman.Biz, citing The Guardian, Platini believes that Infantino has failed to live up to the role of leader of world football.
“He was a good number two, but he did not become a good number one. At UEFA he worked very well, but he has one problem: he likes rich and powerful people, those who have money. That is his nature. He was like that back then too, but at the time he was not in charge,” Platini said.
The French football legend also added that Infantino’s leadership style has become increasingly authoritarian in recent years. “Unfortunately, after the pandemic Infantino became an even bigger autocrat. I think he has lost. There is less democracy now than during Blatter’s time. You can say many things about Blatter, but his main problem was his desire to stay at FIFA forever. He was a good person for football,” Platini stated.
Platini also addressed his own suspension and failed attempt to take over FIFA, saying political decisions and the interests of influential groups stood in his way. “I should have become FIFA president. Everything happened because that was not what they wanted. The ban was a great injustice and was largely political. A group of people decided to destroy me,” he said.
It is worth noting that Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter were fully acquitted by a Swiss appeals court in 2024 in a case related to an alleged illegal payment. Gianni Infantino has been serving as FIFA president since February 26, 2016.
