Gianni Infantino confirms as new president of FIFA

Gianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino has succeeded fellow Swiss Sepp Blatter as president of world football's governing body Fifa.

Blatter, who had led Fifa since 1998, stepped down as president last year after found guilty for breaching ethics guidelines and later suspended for six years by Fifa’s appeals committee.

After his dismissal the election for presidential chair was due to hold on Friday 26 February 2016. The election was due to be fought between five candidates, but South African Tokyo Sexwale withdrew before voting began in Zurich. Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne and Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa were the final nominees for the election.

Among the respective nominees the UEFA general secretary won the election after receiving 115 votes in Friday's second round of voting, more than the required majority of 104 votes from the 207 members.
Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain got 88 votes only 27 less Infantino and placed second. Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan got mere four votes and Frenchman Jerome Champagne ends up getting no vote at all.

It was interesting to note that the winner Gianni Infantino entered the presidential race when it became clear that Michel Platini, boss of European football's governing body Uefa, could not stand as a nominee as banned by Fifa for six year in the same controversy with former Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Infantino elected as the new president of FIFA until 2019 and expressed his dedication towards the chair by
saying, "I will work tirelessly to bring football back to Fifa and Fifa back to football. This is what we want to do.

He added:  "I feel a lot of emotion and have not realised yet what has happened today. It is still very fresh and it's been a long and exciting journey and I probably need some time to chill out and see what has happened."