Former UEFA president Michel Platini has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of becoming an autocratic leader who prioritises the interests of the rich and powerful.
Infantino previously served as Platini’s deputy at UEFA between 2009 and 2015 before later rising to the top position at world football’s governing body.
In an interview with *The Guardian*, Platini, who led UEFA from 2007 to 2015, said Infantino’s leadership style has become increasingly authoritarian, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He was a good number two, but he is not a good number one,” Platini said.
“He worked very well at UEFA, but he has one problem: he likes rich and powerful people — those with money. That is his character. He was like that as a number two, but at that time he was not the boss.”
Platini also claimed that decision-making within FIFA has become less democratic under Infantino’s leadership.
“Unfortunately, Infantino has become more of an autocrat since the pandemic. There is less democracy than in Blatter’s time,” he said.
“You can say what you want about Blatter, but his main problem was that he wanted to stay at FIFA for life. He was a good person for football.”
The former France international further criticised modern football administration, arguing that many officials lack genuine passion for the sport.
“The administrators in football today are just doing their job. You find many who wouldn’t care whether it’s football or basketball. It’s not always about loving football if you work at UEFA or FIFA,” Platini added.
