US President Donald Trump wanted the president of the world football federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino to be the next UN Secretary-General, the American newspaper “New York Post“ and the Italian news agency ANSA reported, citing representatives from Trump's entourage, BTA reported.
The American leader highly praised the way Infantino organized the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. After the World Cup, Trump even said that it was the greatest World Cup ever organized.
In December, FIFA also established its own peace prize, which it awarded to Trump, who often says that he has ended several conflicts around the world and that for this he even deserves to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
The American president believes that Infantino is respected by everyone around the world and has the incredible ability to unite people.
The second term at the head of the UN of the current Secretary-General, the Portuguese Antonio Guterres, expires at the end of this year, which means that his successor must be elected this fall. To do this, this successor must receive the support of the 15 member states of the UN Security Council, in which five permanent members have the right of veto.
It is not clear whether Infantino himself would like to take this post, the two media outlets note.
So far, among the candidates are former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who is a socialist and who is set to face resistance from the United States, and Argentine Rafael Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency and is expected to have problems with Britain due to the long-standing dispute over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), over which the two countries were briefly at war in 1982.
Regarding Trump's idea of Infantino being the next UN Secretary-General, Paolo Zampoli, an Italian-American businessman and Trump's envoy for global partnerships, said that only the American president could have such a brilliant idea. According to Zampoli, Infantino would do a great job as general secretary. Zampoli added that there are many similarities between the leadership of FIFA and that of the UN secretary-general. Zampoli is a personal friend of Infantino.
Trump has often criticized the UN for its lack of effectiveness and inability to stop wars around the world. At the beginning of this year, the American leader established a new body called the Peace Council, which a number of analysts have suggested could become a rival organization to the UN, notes the “New York Post“.
Currently, as head of FIFA, Infantino receives about $ 6 million a year. If elected general secretary, he would receive only about $ 418,000 a year. So far, Infantino has not commented on the information about this idea of \u200b\u200bTrump. He has already announced his intention to run for re-election as FIFA president.
The post of UN Secretary-General is usually determined on a rotational basis, and it is expected that a candidate from Latin America will be elected this year, since the last Secretary-General from this region was Javier Pérez de Cuellar from Peru in the period 1982-1991.
Gianni Infantino was born in Switzerland, recall the “New York Post“ and ANSA.
During the World Cup, Infantino and FIFA found themselves embroiled in a scandal over the overturned red card of American footballer Folarin Belogun after Trump's intervention. Later, the British newspaper "The Guardian" wrote that this case had no impact on Infantino's chances of re-election as FIFA president.