The previous, now ultra-disgraced, former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, notoriously said of his idea to launch the FIFA Club World Cup: “It was a mistake. FIFA must concern itself with national federations, not clubs.” Mistake or not, it seems it will be going ahead this summer. The original blueprint, which involved seven teams playing for a 10-day period in December, has now morphed into a monstrous 32-team extravaganza being held over a month in mid-summer. No one will care who wins but at least Gianni Infantino, Blatter’s replacement, will be happy. (Infantino is pictured on the home page.)
One should always remember that nobody hates football more than FIFA. Infantino has just lowered the bar. The World Cup in Russia! Why not? World Cup in Qatar in winter! Why not? World Cup in Saudi Arabia amid enormous human rights abuses! Why not? FIFA can never see a way of saying ‘no’ to more money. There will be two English teams in the event this coming summer – Manchester City and Chelsea. Given that the tournament will end around the time players would routinely be in pre-season training, that has to impact how those teams can prepare for their domestic leagues next season. That’s not just a Premier League thing, of course. It applies to Real Madrid in Spain, Bayern Munich in Germany, and so on. But, like I said, nobody hates football more than FIFA does. Who cares about the beautiful game? Or players’ well-being? FIFA is simply devoted to the dosh.
Like a child at a kindergarten, Infantino could not stop showing himself off when he attended President Trump’s inauguration last month. Presumably he was in part invited because the next World Cup, while largely in the US, will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada – yes, the same country involved in the renaming exercise that Trump said should lead to the Gulf of Mexico becoming known as the Gulf of America; and the same country that Trump said should cease to become the USA’s northern neighbour and instead choose to reposition itself as the 51st state. The way things are going they may need armed guards at the opening ceremony in order to keep apart the host nations.
None of the immediate foregoing, of course, is any of Infantino’s doing. What was his doing, however, was to celebrate his self-proclaimed bromance with Trump – “President Donald J. Trump, in his speech, mentioned FIFA, mentioned myself” – with copious references to said inauguration on FIFA’s website. It was cosying sport up to politics. But in the past, the home nations have been prohibited from displaying poppies on their shirts close to Armistice Day because to do so would be a “political display”. FIFA then said: “There is only room for sport, nothing else.”
Which is complete nonsense. When it comes to FIFA, there is always room for one more backhander.