Josimar met Gianni Infantino in New York and asked him: “will you resign?”
By Sam Kunti
After Switzerland’s defeat of Colombia on penalties in the round of 16, Fifa president Gianni Infantino flew from Vancouver to New York City and Teterboro airport on QE236, the private jet provided by Qatar Airways on which he has flown more than 50,000 kilometers during the tournament.
Whilst in the Big Apple, Infantino is staying at the Waldorf Astoria, a luxury hotel on Park Avenue (“the pinnacle of hospitality”) where the lobster club sandwich costs $55, the ‘nutty, complex’ Golden Oscietra caviar $210 and a standard room before the final $1,899 per night. Late in the afternoon, Infantino, wearing a cap, walked through the lobby. Josimar was there and seized the opportunity to seek comment from the Fifa president.
After a cordial handshake, Josimar asked: “following the Balogun case, will you resign?”
The FIFA president interjected with ‘Nice to meet you.’
Josimar insisted: “Mr. Infantino, will you resign?”
Thumbs Up
By then, Infantino’s security officer, who claimed that ‘right now, it’s not a good time’, blocked the way. Infantino directed a thumbs up at Josimar’s reporter and walked away down a corridor.
It was deja vu for Josimar. In Vancouver, at the FIFA Congress in April, this reporter had asked Infantino, firstly, if he would consider abolishing the Fifa Peace Prize after a call by the Norwegian Football Federation and, secondly, if he was not embarrassed by the high ticket prices for the World Cup? Infantino had responded: “I will comment whenever I want to comment.”
The Fifa president has been under enormous pressure this week over Fifa’s review of Balogun’s automatic one-match ban following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32. US President Trump said he had demanded Fifa review the ban. Fifa duly obliged. It prompted backlash from Uefa as well as the NFF, who questioned the sporting integrity of the competition. However, the Belgian FA have indicated they won’t pursue legal action against Fifa.
Belgium’s FA president Pascale Van Damme did not address the matter herself, but, as protocol dictates, she sat next to Infantino during Belgium’s 4-1 demolition of the US. A Fifa Council member, she earns $250,000 in the role.
