Former UEFA president Michel Platini has launched a sharp criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of running world football in an increasingly autocratic manner and favouring the interests of wealthy and powerful individuals.
Platini, who led UEFA from 2007 to 2015, worked closely with Infantino during his time at the European football body, where Infantino served as his deputy between 2009 and 2015. However, speaking in an interview with The Guardian, the former France international said Infantino’s leadership style changed dramatically after he rose to the top of FIFA.
“He was a good number two, but he is not a good number one,” Platini said.
“He worked very well at UEFA, but he has one problem: he likes rich and powerful people — those with money. That is his character. He was like that as a number two, but back then he was not the boss.”
Platini went further, arguing that FIFA has become less democratic under Infantino’s leadership, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Unfortunately, Infantino has become more of an autocrat since the pandemic. There is less democracy than in Blatter’s time,” he said.
“You can say what you want about Blatter, but his main problem was that he wanted to stay at FIFA for life. He was a good person for football.”
The former UEFA chief also criticised the wider state of football governance, suggesting that many modern administrators lack genuine passion for the game.
“The administrators in football today are just doing their job. You find many who wouldn’t care whether it’s football or basketball. It’s not always a case of loving football if you work at UEFA or FIFA,” Platini added.
Platini’s comments add to ongoing debates around FIFA’s governance and leadership under Infantino, whose presidency has overseen major structural and commercial changes in global football.
