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FIFA President Gianni Infantino received support from South American soccer this Friday in Colombia, following the crisis unleashed by the aborted plan to open the doors of that institution to private capital.
The 56-year-old head of world soccer arrived early in the morning in the city of Cali to attend the presidential inauguration of far-right figure Abelardo de la Espriella.
The visit takes place during a time of high tension for FIFA due to the widespread rejection of the project, now withdrawn, which allowed for private investment in the organization's commercial and sporting activities, including the World Cups.
The earthquake is taking place seven months before the organization's elections, which will be held next March and in which Infantino hopes to be re-elected for a fourth and final four-year term.
To achieve this, he must obtain a majority of the votes from the 211 FIFA members. The European confederation (UEFA), with 55 affiliates to the global institution, is shaping up to be his greatest opponent.
The executive, the sole candidate, declined to answer a question from an AFP journalist in Cali about whether he considered the crisis over.
"We always have to look into the eyes of these children who don't care about what we talk about, the speeches and all of this," the Italian-Swiss said later during a first event in the hot Colombian Pacific city before dozens of soccer projects.
"The important thing is that we do everything we can so that these girls and boys can enjoy the most magical sport," he added.
[Publicidad]