Paris, Aug 31. (dpa/GNA) – Former UEFA president, Michel Platini, has renewed his criticism on the world governing body FIFA boss, Gianni Infantino, and accused him of violating the rules of football.
“Economic matters are one thing. But I believe that Infantino has failed because he is the guarantor of the laws of the game, and he did not respect them,” Platini said on Canal+.
Platini said as a result, Infantino has to go. Infantino is under fire over his failed plan to sell stakes of the World Cup to private investors.
Infantino has presided over FIFA since 2016, and seeks re-election next year. Platini said, Infantino had violated the laws of the game at the recent World Cup because “the commercial [hydration] breaks are not provided for in the regulations, the 30-minute half-time break in the final is not provided for in the regulations, and the red card is the worst case.”
United States forward, Folarin Balogun, had a red-card ban suspended, which allow him to play in the next game, after US President Donald Trump, intervened via a phone call to Infantino.
The decision caused outrage, as FIFA regulations prohibit any kind of political interference.
Infantino was UEFA general secretary for several years, when Platini headed Europe’s body.
Platini was banned from football in 2015 over a payment from FIFA, and could not run for the FIFA presidency as planned, with Infantino stepping in and elected FIFA president in 2016.
“I always knew that he likes money and power a lot. This is a micro cosmos of people who consider themselves the chiefs of football, while the real chiefs of football are the [Kylian] Mbappés, [Zinedine] Zidanes, [Diego] Maradonas.”
UEFA is also aiming to topple Infantino via legal action and is preparing a criminal case in connection with the planned investor deal, which according to Platini could be a more promising plan.
“I think that this will not be settled through the sporting authorities. I think that if UEFA wants to bring Infantino down, it will happen through the justice authorities,” he said.
GNA