Emilio Garcia, FIFA's legal official, leaves his position... as pressure on Infantino increases

Emilio Garcia, the chief legal officer at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), left his position on Friday, after eight years spent working with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, which coincided with the organization of the Men's World Cup in North America, a period that witnessed intense scrutiny over disciplinary decisions.

FIFA said in a statement: “Emilio Garcia Silverio expressed his desire to start a new chapter in his career and return to Spain, after 15 years of working abroad in the service of international football.”

As Head of FIFA's Legal and Compliance Department, Garcia oversaw disciplinary issues in tournaments, transfer market rules, and contractual disputes globally, and also led the transfer of the federation's legal team from Zurich to Miami in 2023.

Garcia also worked to enhance transparency in the legal work within FIFA by publishing more case documents and decisions, including lists of clubs that were imposed with sanctions preventing them from participating in the international transfer market.

“It has been a true dream to work side by side with colleagues from all over the world to improve the regulatory framework of international football,” Garcia said in a FIFA statement.

Infantino's leadership of FIFA has faced intense scrutiny since last July, when media reports revealed a secret plan he intended to implement to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, including Josh Kushner.

This led to an angry global reaction, including senior executives within FIFA, which prompted Infantino to withdraw from the project within days. The New York Times later reported that Garcia voted to move forward with this controversial plan, during a close vote among senior administration officials.

Michael Carrick considered that returning Manchester United to its former glories “will not happen overnight,” as he prepares to face Aston Villa on Sunday in the English Football League in a match that may be his last at the helm of the coaching staff.

United ended a series of nine matches without any victory after overturning a 0-2 deficit to win a thrilling 3-2 victory over Italian club Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The “Red Devils” have not achieved any victory in the league since August, and they are far from the relegation zone on goal difference only.

The Manchester United board of directors gave Carrick an additional opportunity, but the two-week international break after facing Aston Villa gives the management an opportunity to make a change, unless he succeeds in proving that the team is on the right path.

The former midfielder was a member of Manchester United's golden era under the leadership of historic coach Alex Ferguson, who saw the club win many major titles. But the club's results have declined significantly since the Scottish coach's retirement following the last season in which the team won the league title in 2013.

Carrick rejected the idea that it is impossible to repeat the success that Ferguson built; He said in a press conference: “It is not impossible. "Everything is possible."

He added: “In light of the recent history that we have lived through and the place we want to reach, this will not be achieved in the blink of an eye, and it will not happen overnight.”

He continued: “Success takes time, and we do not like to wait, but it requires a period of construction. We showed a very quick reaction, and we achieved great progress last season, and this shows what is possible, but continuity is the basis, and consistency in level is the key.”

He also said: “There is no other way to achieve this.” There are no shortcuts. “In the end, this is the destination we want to reach, but it is definitely possible.”

The joy of victory over Roma was marred by an injury to Cameroonian player Carlos Baleba, who joined the team for 70 million pounds ($93 million), in the hamstring muscles, which will keep him out of the field for an indefinite period. Carrick confirmed that the midfielder will miss “several weeks.”

German Thomas Tuchel, coach of the English national football team, believes that Cole Palmer, the Chelsea striker, “is wasting many opportunities to prove his worth.”

Tuchel decided to exclude Palmer from the England national team's roster for its matches against Croatia and Spain in the European Nations League, during the upcoming international break later this month.

Palmer (24 years old) was also absent from the England national team roster in the last camp, and will now miss the team’s next two matches against Croatia at Wembley Stadium in the British capital, London, next Thursday, and against Spain in Madrid on November 15.

On the other hand, Tuchel praised what he described as the amazing story of Jude Bellingham and his brother Job joining the team for the first time.

The British news agency (PA Media) reported that Job, who is two years younger than his brother Jude, represents the first call-up on Tuchel’s list.

If Job participates in the match, the two brothers will become the second brothers to represent the England national team, noting that Jude had previously stated that sharing the field with his brother in the national team jersey would be the dream of his life.

Tuchel said: “It is an amazing achievement for the family and the two brothers, to be selected together for the national team, in itself a wonderful story.”

He added: “As I said, I was very happy to inform him of the summons, and I immediately sensed his enthusiasm, and saw his smile.”

He continued: “Job has an open and calm personality, so it was a very nice phone call, especially since it brought very good news.”

He explained: “We see that he plays in the position of a pivotal midfielder, and he is now one of five players we rely on in this position.”

He continued: “He is a player who is more inclined to play defensive roles than his brother Jude. He is strong in handling the ball, has a strong physical structure and a distinctive physical presence, and is also good at possession.”

He concluded by saying: “Now the responsibility falls on him, especially since we only have Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for Thursday’s match against Croatia.”