Veteran French football coach Claude Le Roy has strongly criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino, questioning his leadership and expressing concern over the future of world football.
Speaking on L’Équipe du Soir, Le Roy said he was surprised that Infantino remains at the helm of football’s governing body and questioned the lack of competition in FIFA’s presidential elections.
“I am shocked that this man is still at the head of FIFA,” Le Roy said. “I don’t understand how we can accept that he is almost the only candidate for the next election.”
The former coach, who is widely respected for his long career in African football, did not hold back in his assessment of the FIFA president.
He acknowledged Infantino’s ability to speak several languages but dismissed it as his only strength.
“He has one quality: he is multilingual. But he is a multilingual idiot, dangerous for football, who has brought absolutely nothing positive and has made the sport look controversial in the eyes of everyone,” Le Roy said.
Le Roy is one of the most experienced coaches to have worked in African football.
During a career spanning several decades, he managed national teams including Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, Congo, Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He guided Cameroon to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations title and has long been regarded as one of the continent’s most influential foreign coaches.
Infantino has served as FIFA president since 2016, overseeing major changes in world football, including the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and the introduction of new international competitions.
While supporters credit him with increasing football’s global reach and revenues, critics have questioned FIFA’s governance, transparency and decision-making under his leadership.
