- Published
Gianni Infantino has been the Fifa president for 10 years, when he was elected with a remit to rescue football's world governing body.
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he → publish → body
Infantino was installed with Fifa engulfed by claims of widespread corruption and after predecessor Sepp Blatter had resigned.
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Blatter → instal → corruption
There was a reported $550m (£392m) black hole, external after sponsors walked away.
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sponsors → be → ?
In Infantino, the game felt it had found a safe pair of hands.
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it → feel → hands
"I will work tirelessly to bring football back to Fifa, and Fifa back to football," Infantino said.
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Infantino → work → football
Ten years on, there can be no doubt the governing body is in rude health.
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body → govern → health
It expects to report record revenues, external of $13bn (£9.6bn) for the three-year cycle through to the end of this year.
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It → expect → year
But those figures only tell part of the story.
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figures → tell → story
They are boosted by the controversial Club World Cup, and the biggest-ever World Cup with its high ticket prices.
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They → boost → prices
Infantino and Fifa's recent proposal to sell stakes in its competitions - including the World Cup - to private investors has drawn widespread criticism, with football's global governing body accused of selling out the sport.
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body → sell → sport
Infantino has clashed with players' unions and European football, but remains in a strong position at the top of the world game.
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Infantino → clash → game
It is easy to forget Blatter's successor as Fifa president was supposed to be Michel Platini.
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successor → forget → president
But after Platini was drawn into the scandal at the organisation - both he and Blatter were later fully cleared of corruption charges - Infantino was thrust forward as Uefa's preferred candidate.
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Infantino → draw → candidate
As the general secretary of European football's governing body, Infantino had been the right-hand man of president Platini for seven years.
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Infantino → govern → years
To many he was just the guy who presented Champions League draws.
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who → present → draws
Ten years on, you would be hard pressed to find a football fan who does not recognise him.
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who → press → him
Turning Fifa around was no small task.
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Turning → turn → Fifa
The US Department of Justice had indicted a large number of top executives and it needed root-and-branch reform.
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it → indict → reform
Two pages of Infantino's manifesto were devoted to more than doubling development money for member associations.
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pages → devote → associations
That would be for new competitions, for infrastructure, and even to cover travel costs for smaller nations.
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That → cover → nations
Expanding the World Cup was also included, though to 40 teams.
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Expanding → expand → teams
Within a year it had been rubber-stamped as a 48-team tournament.
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it → stamp → tournament
In the first round of votes, Infantino led Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa - president of the Asian confederation - by 88 votes to 85.
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Infantino → lead → 85
Infantino only moved clear when the 34 votes originally cast for Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and French executive Jerome Champagne were reallocated.
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votes → move → Hussein
"This is a new day, a new dawn," said then Football Association chairman Greg Dyke, welcoming Infantino's win.
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Dyke → say → win
Infantino, meanwhile, declared he would "restore the image of Fifa".
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he → declare → Fifa
"It's your money, not the money of the Fifa president," Infantino told delegates.
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Infantino → tell → delegates
"The money of Fifa has to be used to develop football."
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money → have → football
But to make more money, Fifa had to be creative.
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Fifa → make → money
Infantino takes centre stage over Qatar
The controversial World Cups of 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar were waiting in Infantino's in-tray.
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Cups → take → tray
Voting for the tournaments had been shrouded in controversy with claims of collusion and deals, but the deeds were already done.
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deeds → shroud → collusion
In his early years as president, Infantino kept a fairly low profile.
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Infantino → keep → profile
It was only when the World Cup rolled into Qatar that he started to become a more public figure.
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he → roll → Qatar
Under pressure amid repeated criticisms about workers' rights and claims of modern slavery in the country, Infantino hit back.
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Infantino → repeat → country
He first called out "hypocrisy" and "racism" about Qatar in the European media, then made his infamous speech about discrimination.
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He → call → discrimination
"Today I feel Qatari," he said.
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he → feel → ?
"Today I feel Arabic.
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I → feel → ?
Today I feel African.
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I → feel → ?
Today I feel gay.
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I → feel → ?
Today I feel disabled.
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I → feel → ?
…and 50 more, not listed.
The Aporia
