Gianni Infantino tells reporter 'I'll see you at the hairdressers' over World Cup sell-off
Quick Look
Fifa president Gianni Infantino brushed off questions about his future and a botched World Cup sell-off plan by telling a Sky News reporter he would see him at the hairdressers.
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Why It Matters
Continental confederations and Uefa have criticized Fifa president Gianni Infantino over private investment plans for tournaments.
Gianni Infantino told a reporter “I’ll see you at the hairdressers” after he was asked whether he had betrayed football over his aborted World Cup sell-off plan.
The Fifa president was stopped outside a hotel in the Dominican Republic by the Sky News US correspondent, James Matthews, who challenged the under-fire leader of football’s governing body over why he had not resigned, despite calls from across the game for him to step down.
Last week, three continental confederations accused the president of “deception” over his plans to secure private investment in Fifa tournaments, while the European governing body Uefa has threatened a boycott of Fifa competitions having “lost confidence” in his leadership.
Having tracked Infantino to a hotel in the Caribbean country, Matthews, who shares Infantino’s recognisable bald pate, asked the 56-year-old whether he had “betrayed the game of football”, to which came the reply: “You have a nice haircut. Thank you so much.”
As the president walked away, Matthews continued: “Why won’t you resign? Fans, Fifa associations want you to step down. Why won’t you? Have you betrayed the trust of Fifa?”
As he stepped inside a waiting black car, Infantino replied: “I’ll see you at the hairdressers.”
Open Questions
- Will Infantino face a formal no-confidence vote?
- How will Uefa proceed with its boycott threat?
