Gianni Infantino brings up ten years as FIFA president this week and former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hailed the impact he has had on the game in the last decade.
Arsene Wenger says FIFA should be very “proud” of the “huge improvement” under Gianni Infantino’s ten-year reign. FIFA president Infantino celebrates ten years in his role on Thursday on the back of a highly eventful decade in charge of football’s world governing body.
Former Arsenal boss Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, says Infantino will help to “change” the world by developing more educational programmes in academies and improving standards for smaller nations
FIFA has staunchly insisted that it is a not-for-profit organisation and they pump millions back into the game which keeps many smaller nations going.
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Frenchman Wenger says Infantino is one of the major driving forces behind youth development, improving the women’s game and also expanding the major tournaments.
“Overall we have gone through a lot. When you’re at FIFA you’re always under pressure and under scrutiny, but I believe that the highlights are that we’ve tried to develop the game by improving the roots of the game as well the competition. And if you look at the last ten years and how football has moved on the popular front, I would say there is a huge improvement on that side and that Gianni is always ready to move forward and to create new ideas. He’s open to new ideas.
“We have for the first time now a World Cup with 48 teams. Our target is to have 100 academies in 100 different countries, so that shows you how big the impact will be worldwide. It will change the world. And I’m convinced as well that the U-15 and U-17 World Cup every year will change football in the world – and it will change the world, believe me. So that I think is a very positive step. A lot has been done in the last 10 years to help countries who were behind Europe to develop their potential, Wenger said.
The former Arsenal head coach touted Infantino’s acheivements in enhancing education among officials in football across the world since he assumed office.
“So, that’s certainly the proudest moment, but you can look at these 10 years – a huge improvement has been made in the countries who were far behind and slowly the level is more unified and is much higher everywhere in the world. I would say with hindsight, we realise that for the first time, in the last 10 years, FIFA has gone for a very strong educational programme.
“Before, FIFA had done a lot of work, of course, and a lot of good work, but it was mainly about organising competitions, about keeping the rules of the game, being a guarantor of the rules of the game, where we participate as well and we want to move the game forward as well. But for the first time in the last 10 years, FIFA has gone into an educational role and responsibility and that in my opinion will change the world,” he added.
He also said that he has now realised his own target when he took his job at FIFA in 2019 of improving youth education and that has fully justified his decision.
“Gianni is somebody who wants to move forward. He’s always open to new ideas and I’m grateful – he was a huge supporter of my suggestions to educate the players in the academies, in the countries and to develop all the countries. He is conscious that every country deserves a chance and he has helped me to get the funds and to get the funds voted by all the federations to support this programme.
“And I must say, he has been a huge supporter of the Development Programme so overall he’s always keen to move things forward. I thought the best way to have an influence in the world of football is at global level and I decided to join FIFA, to say yes to their question: ‘Would you like to join us and help us to improve the quality of the game in the world?’ And, it was obvious for me, he noted.
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