The fixer at the center of FIFA’s meltdown
From Riyadh to Haiti to a leaked World Cup sell-off plan, Mario Gallavotti keeps turning up at the center of global soccer’s worst moments.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, kept top leadership in the dark about his ambitious plan to sell off parts of the World Cup to private investors, but it was largely due to the assistance of Mario Gallavotti, an Italian lawyer with significant sway over the global soccer governing body. Gallavotti has been closely linked to Infantino for over two decades, despite the latter's long list of political connections, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tomaž Vesel, a former chair of FIFA's independent audit committee under Infantino, noted that Gallavotti's role extends beyond legal matters, as he plays a more political role than anyone else in FIFA. Gallavotti, a supporter of the Italian football club SS Lazio, has a penchant for vacationing in the Italian countryside. It was Gallavotti who inadvertently revealed details of the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" plan that led to a media storm and political crisis, jeopardizing Infantino's chances of securing a third full term as president.
Gallavotti's influence stems from a unique position within FIFA, created as part of an organizational overhaul by Infantino in 2016 to combat endemic corruption. However, his ambiguous roles raise questions about the true extent of his political power and the organization's efforts to maintain transparency and accountability.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
