PARIS — Sepp Blatter warned Gianni Infantino Sunday that miracles will be expected from him as the newly-elected FIFA president but there will be plenty of backstabbers if he fails to deliver.
Blatter, currently serving a six-year suspension from football, saw his 18-year reign as FIFA chief officially end Friday when 45-year-old UEFA secretary-general Infantino was voted in as football’s most powerful man.
But in an open letter to the Swiss-Italian lawyer, Blatter warned his successor to be wary of the pitfalls that come with the job. He also said he was ready to offer his help if required.
“I congratulate you, but remember however that this position you wanted will not be easy. Miracles will be expected,” Blatter wrote in an open letter published in French newspaper, Journal du dimanche.
“I had these expectations for the last 18 years at FIFA which I served for 41 years.”
Blatter said that the package of reforms which will be implemented at the scandal-hit body will help Infantino as he embarks on his new era.
“The miracles will be helped by the vote overwhelmingly taken for the reforms which I had also started. If by chance, you want an opinion or advice, do not hesitate. For now, stay calm. You have two months to implement the decisions taken.”
Blatter said Infantino will be allowed a period of grace but could face stormy waters if reforms are implemented too slowly for the patience of federations and sponsors.
“Prepare yourself well but be vigilant. While everyone supports you and tells you nice words, know that once you are the president, friends become rare.”
Infantino will mark his first working day as president Monday by playing in a soccer match with Swiss-based FIFA employees battered for months by an unfolding corruption scandal.
The match symbolizes a return to the primary focus of FIFA that for some has been lost in tales of high-living by top executives and abuses that culminated in the banning of Infantino’s veteran predecessor Blatter for six years.
When he walks into the presidential office at FIFA’s headquarters on a Zurich hilltop, the new incumbent will quickly have to deal with financial and administrative problems, bring back sponsors, motivate a demoralised work force and engage with clubs and players who are growing increasingly disillusioned.
Previously general secretary of European soccer’s governing body UEFA, Infantino must also dispel the notion he was elected to represent only the interests of his own powerful continent. Some had expected a Bahraini rival to win the post in a tilt towards Asia for the sport.
One of the Swiss national’s earliest tasks will be to appoint a secretary general to take charge of day-to-day operations, a post Infantino has already indicated will go to a non-European.
Another priority will be to lift the morale of the 400-odd employees at FIFA, many of whom are highly-qualified and have soldiered on for the last eight months trying to ignore the chaos at the top.
