“Eight more countries would be in World Cup fever,” he said. “It would boost the competition and commercially it means more teams, more matches, more revenue”.
The Swiss’s proposal to massively increase the money FIFA gives to individual federations for development and other projects was also criticised by Salman.
Infantino says he will ensure that half of FIFA’s entire revenue will be distributed to federations with five million dollars over four years for each member association as well as $40 million over the same period for the regional confederations.
“Whenever there is an election we hear a lot of promises … we have to be realistic in what we can achieve and what we can do,” said Salman, who said cash should be targeted at those who needed it most.
“Does Japan, China or Saudi Arabia need financial support? I don’t think so. When we look at countries around the world, you can look at countries like Germany, the U.K. or even the United States, I think they don’t need it as much as the smaller countries do.”
Infantino also hit back at those who suggested his plan to distribute more resources was simply an election tactic.
“I was criticised when I made these proposals, they said ‘Ah, you are trying to buy votes’,” he said.
“I am not buying anything. It is not my money, it is your money. FIFA’s money is your money, the national associations’ money.”
TRADITIONAL POLITICKING
While the candidates mostly stuck to explaining their manifesto plans, they did engage in some more traditional politicking, tailoring their appeal to the CONCACAF audience.
Jordanian FA president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein said scandal-plagued CONCACAF, which has seen its last three presidents indicted as part of the U.S. Department of Justice investigation, should not feel it was to blame for FIFA’s crisis.
“Your confederation is not the cause of FIFA’s problems it is a victim of FIFA’s problems. The failure of leadership at the top of FIFA set the tone for the entire organisation,” he said.
Ali said that FIFA’s recent decision to suspend payments to CONCACAF was a “collective punishment” and said he was “outraged” when he heard of the move.
Infantino told the delegates that “the media treats your region unfairly”, while Salman said “Asia and CONCACAF have so many similarities between us”.
There was no debate as the candidates each spoke without their opponents in the room.
South African businessman and politician Tokyo Sexwale, the fifth candidate, did not attend the meeting.
*Source: Reuters/NAN
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