Reforms helped revive FIFA - Infantino at congress in Moscow
MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was on the verge of disintegration two and a half years ago, but now the organization is functioning and developing excellently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow on Wednesday.
Infantino said that, now that more than two years have passed since his election, it is time to sum up the interim results. He said that on February 26, 2016, the day he was elected, FIFA was diagnosed with 'clinical death,' but now FIFA lives and is full of life and enthusiasm, has a certain vision of the future and it can be said that FIFA is in good health.
The principles that FIFA follows in its reforms have become the principles of revival, such as limited mandates, including presidential, (not more than three terms, four years each) were introduced, independent members of FIFA committees were elected, including to the financial committee, which had not happened before, he said. People with high ethical standards were selected and included in the administration, transparency of financial flows was ensured, and everyone knows precisely the origin and purpose of every dollar, he said, adding that FIFA does not have additional expenditures that are in the millions of dollars and everything is accessible and recorded.
FIFA has introduced a system for verifying competencies, Infantino said. Every member of any FIFA committee meets these criteria, he said.
Besides, there is a solid, transparent system for applying to the 2016 FIFA World Cup, and the host of the championship that will be held in eight years will be determined today by voting, Infantino said.
The FIFA revenue is expected to reach $6.2 billion by late 2018 from 2015, which is almost $1 billion more than was projected.
FIFA received some $1.8 billion for development in the past two years.