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Keystone
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks for the first time about his secret meeting with US Attorney Michael Lauber. He’s pissed off about the criminal case against him. Suspicion: incitement to abuse of power.
Sepp Blatter’s successor at the top of the World Football Association (FIFA) is not enviable. Gianni Infantino claims to have taken a lot of broken glass from Blatter in 2016. “I became the head of a company poisoned by corruption,” the 50-year-old said today in an interview with Blick.
Infantino speaks for the first time about the criminal case that has been against him for three months. Suspicion is high: incitement to abuse of power. Infantino is said to have met several times with US Attorney Michael Lauber and made a deal with him. Meanwhile, the meetings cost Lauber his job.
Infantino is not aware of any evil: “To this day I have no idea what I am accused of. They released me to the world public without saying what I should have done wrong. “
“Duty to meet with the federal prosecutor”
Shortly after taking office, the new head of FIFA saw as “a duty to seek contact with the federal prosecutor to point out two things. First: We clean, implement reforms and make money flows transparent so that things from before are not repeated. “Secondly, he wanted to point out to the federal prosecutor that” with the new FIFA not only are the doors open, but also the windows. ”” I wanted to tell you that, as the newly elected president, I would also fully cooperate with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. “
Lauber and Infantino had contradicted their statements regarding the number of secret meetings at the Bernese Hotel Schweizerhof. Was it two or even three meetings? “Actually, I’m not sure I’ve met Mr. Lauber two or three times,” Infantino says today. “But what I do know: I would have seen it 300 times if I wanted to. It is incomprehensible that something illegal is being built from this. Nothing was ever discussed between Mr. Lauber and myself, not before, during or after the meeting. “
Did you want to wash up with the federal prosecutor?
Infantino is particularly opposed to the claim by “Football Leaks Media” that he wanted to wash himself due to a dubious television contract that he still signed as UEFA General Secretary. This is complete nonsense! I don’t know who wanted to blacken me with this accusation, but there is nothing wrong with that in the back and in the front. This Uefa contract was thoroughly vetted by the federal prosecutor’s office and deemed absolutely trouble-free for me. “
It also seemed like a trap because Infantino had brought his friend, the Valais chief prosecutor, Rinaldo Arnold, to the meeting. Infantino regularly gave him tickets to the World Cup and the Champions League. Infantino today: “I asked him for advice to meet with the federal prosecutor. This is certainly not illegal. It was obvious to me that I could trust a friend who is also a senior prosecutor. “
Infantino does not believe that history could be dangerous for him. “But I have to be honest, it affects me a lot, including my family, all FIFA employees, all the presidents of a FIFA association. The image damage is enormous. That is why we have to clarify this as soon as possible. Therefore, I will be happy to answer the extraordinary prosecutor’s questions at any time. “
A door in the White House.
The new head of FIFA has long since arrived in the world of the beautiful and powerful. He meets with heads of state and government from around the world. He is also regularly in the Oval Office to chat with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He’s not as nervous as he was at first. But he is special in the White House. You can feel the pressure of the story. “
According to Infantino, conversations with Trump always begin with the usual talk. But then it would be “exciting to talk to an economically minded president about the potential of soccer in the United States and about the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. And it helps your child play soccer. There is even a gate in the garden of the White House. “
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