PREVIEW-FIFA faces day of reckoning as dangers place

Factbox on Switzerland's Gianni Infantino, one of 5 candidates standing for the FIFA presidency in an

election on Feb.

* Born in Paris on June 15, 1958

* The 57-year-old Frenchman held senior positions at FIFA prior to leaving the organization in 2010.

* Was the very first to state he was running in the 2015 presidential election in January 2014, yet later

on took out when he could possibly not get the support of the obligatory 5 FAs had to safeguard an area

in the race.

* Completed his education and learning in 1981 after obtaining levels at the Institute of Political

Sciences of Paris as well as the Institute of Asian Languages.

* Signed up with France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983 and also during his job as a mediator served

in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman, Havana, Paris, Los Angeles and Brasilia.

* Became Deputy Consul General in Los Angeles where, throughout the accumulation to the 1994 Globe

Mug in the USA, he satisfied the leaders of the Organising Committee for the 1998 Globe Cup in France,

amongst them Michel Platini and later Sepp Blatter.

* Left the French diplomatic service in 1997 and also began benefiting the French World Mug Organising

Board as polite adviser as well as Chief of Method under Platini.

* Blatter, then FIFA's secretary general, invited him to join FIFA as his worldwide consultant when he

became president in 1998.

* Has actually constantly been closely linked with the now-banned Blatter and also has actually never

criticised him openly, despite requiring significant reforms at FIFA.

* Champagne rapidly established himself as one of one of the most prominent members of the

organization, associated with a host of initiatives including structure better connections with the

European Union, the International Olympic Committee, FIFpro - the worldwide players union - and also

numerous others.

* Was FIFA's Deputy Secretary General in between 2002 and also 2005, and was their Supervisor of

International Relations from 2007 till he left FIFA in 2010 after political infighting cost him his location.

* Since 2010, Champagne has actually functioned as an independent worldwide football professional,

often in organization with FIFA and also has actually aided broker a new effort in Cyprus entailing the

Greek as well as Turkish FAs who signed a declaration last November aiming to merge football on the

island for the first time since 1955.

* He has actually likewise worked on getting recognition for Kosovo, which implies FIFA participants

could play friendlies against Kosovo, although it is not yet a participant of FIFA.

* In 2012 he provided a 26-page 20,000 word document qualified "Just what FIFA for the 21st

Century?".

* Bottom line of Sparkling wine's FIFA election manifesto:

- Is against any kind of growth of the World Cup to 40 groups.

- He would certainly re-organise FIFA's existing grants tract which sees the richest FAs obtaining the

same grants as the poorest. The majority of the money, he states, would certainly visit the poorest

participants.

* William Hill probabilities to win presidency: 66/1

* William Hillside probabilities for the any other candidates: 8/15 Sheikh Salman; 6/4 Gianni Infantino,

8/1, Royal prince Ali; 66/1 Tokyo Sexwale.