In an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT in Manchester, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that FIFA under Gianni Infantino's leadership is heading in the wrong direction.
Why do you think Gianni Infantino is unsuitable to lead FIFA?
"The direction FIFA is heading under his leadership, and the plan to sell the World Cup to investors, has only reinforced my belief that he has not steered the organization in the right direction, nor has he put the sport on the right track. I've had this thought for some time now. Clearly, this is not a sustainable situation. UEFA and CONCACAF cannot agree with this, which means that a large part of world football is saying that this approach is unacceptable."
I think most fans would agree with you. You just said that this feeling has been going on for a long time. So, was this the last straw that finally broke the camel's back?
"Yes, I think so. I've always had some concerns about the 2022 World Cup, including a lot of things on and off the field. Everything just felt off to me, it just never felt right."
"After everything that has happened at FIFA, I was willing to give the era he led a chance, and I did, and that is still the case to this day."
FIFA insists they are not selling footballs, and that this is not the purpose of the proposal. So, as a football fan and the British Prime Minister, what is your opinion?
"My view is that football must be protected and cannot be completely hijacked by commercial interests. Ultimately, football is about the joy that the sport brings, and we should also use the power of football to return as much of the revenue as possible to grassroots football. People seem to have forgotten this point, and the top level only treats football as another tool for making money. If football becomes like this, and only has this one purpose, then it will destroy what we have loved since childhood."
