Luis Figo has called on Gianni Infantino to resign immediately.
It is now getting to the stage where some people of a significantly forgiving nature might actually begin to feel a little bit sorry for Gianni Infantino. Of course, he brought it all on himself - not just with his heinous scheme to sell off the World Cup but with his entire power-obsessed, egotistical tenure as FIFA president.
But the tirade of criticism has been something else. And one of the most cutting character assessments has now come from the breed of ‘legend’ that Infantino has tried to ingratiate himself with over the past decade.
Luis Figo referred to Infantino’s conduct as “the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour” he has ever witnessed. “And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game,” Figo said, before going on to describe Infantino as “a relic of the game’s past.”
Figo then proceeds to accuse Infantino of inflicting “a litany of abuses … on football’s reputation” during a “reign of terrible self-interest.” And the Portuguese legend was just warming up.
“Infantino has debased the office of FIFA President that he promised to elevate,” said the former Barcelona and Real Madrid player. “He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest of the game he is supposed to serve.
“It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now.”
Brutal stuff. Almost certainly nothing that most right-minded football followers would disagree with, but brutal all the same.
Figo is right, of course. Infantino has to go. But what Figo - a close confidante of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin - does not suggest, it seems, is that someone such as himself should now step forward.
Arsene Wenger has denouned Gianni Infantino's ill-fated scheme but not the man himself(Image: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
For a couple of months in early 2015, Figo did just that. Backed by figures such as David Beckham and Jose Mourinho no less, Figo launched his candidacy for the FIFA presidency at Wembley in February 2015.
I remember his manifesto brochure. Expanding the World Cup to 48 teams was one of his key policies, by the way. Figo was standing against Sepp Blatter - who would go on to win a fifth term - but pulled out shortly before the May election.
Which was a shame. Figo might have made a good president. And what is to stop him running against Infantino? Or more likely, what is to stop him running in a contest to succeed Infantino, who will surely not run for re-election?
The main theme of the backlash to the Infantino proposal that will now go down as one of the most infamous in the game’s history has been that football belongs to the people, belongs to the fans. Well, what sort of character would the fans want as the figurehead of the world’s governing body?
Gianni Infantino is now under immense pressure to step aside from the FIFA presidency
They would not have wanted a Swiss lawyer in the first place, that is for sure. Ironically, they might have wanted someone like Arsene Wenger.
After a few days’ silence, FIFA’s chief of global football development denounced Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise Scheme but did not individually denounce the man who gave him his lucrative gig. Wenger might be too allied to Infantino, and has himself had the odd madcap idea recently.
But perhaps he should stand against Infantino or stand to succeed him. Wenger has always claimed to have the good of the game at heart.
That is unlikely to happen but the more options we have from those who know about the game rather than the politics of the game, the better. And it would be good if those options included Figo.
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The possibility of Arsene Wenger entering the frame is also notable because of his recent response to Infantino’s scheme. After a few days’ silence, FIFA’s chief of global football development denounced Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise Scheme but did not individually denounce the man who gave him his lucrative gig.
Wenger might be too allied to Infantino, and has himself had the odd madcap idea recently.
But perhaps he should stand against Infantino or stand to succeed him. Wenger has always claimed to have the good of the game at heart.
That is unlikely to happen but the more options we have from those who know about the game rather than the politics of the game, the better. And it would be good if those options included Figo.
