Arsene Wenger has ruined his personal legacy. We as soon as thought he was The Professor, now we see the reality – a silent stooge following his grasp Gianni Infantino… and is ex-Arsenal boss the actual brains behind FIFA’s hated schemes?

Talking in February on the tenth anniversary of Gianni Infantino’s accession as FIFA president, Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his pal for overseeing a ‘big enchancment’ in world soccer.

‘Gianni is at all times prepared to maneuver ahead and to create new concepts. He’s open to new concepts,’ stated Wenger.

Say what you need about Infantino, he’s most positively open to concepts.

The thought to have a World Cup in Qatar at Christmas time, and improve the variety of groups on the match this summer time to 48. If he will get his approach, will probably be 64 in 4 years’ time, when the match is already being performed throughout six international locations.

The thought to introduce necessary hydration breaks on the World Cup this summer time, considering we wouldn’t see them for the industrial seize they actually have been, and to have the finalists from Spain and Argentina kicking their heels within the dressing room at half-time for the perfect a part of half an hour ready for Madonna and Co to get off the pitch on the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

It was Infantino’s concept to award President Donald Trump the ridiculous FIFA Peace Prize, after which say nothing when the Iran group have been banished to coach in Mexico whereas Trump’s warfare towards them raged within the Center East, or when the Somalian referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US.

Say what you need about Infantino, he’s most positively open to concepts

And it’s his preposterous concept to carve up the World Cup and promote it to personal traders for £3.1billion by strong-arming FIFA’s 211 member associations into accepting his proposals, thus plunging world soccer into disaster.

All of the whereas, Wenger has hovered at Infantino’s proper hand like a silent stooge, a sight we witnessed so usually in North America this summer time.

As FIFA’s chief of worldwide soccer improvement, the 76-year-old Frenchman is a part of Infantino’s interior circle. One of many folks, it’s honest to imagine, who would have been conscious of the nice World Cup sell-off when so many different executives weren’t. For all we all know, Wenger might have performed an energetic function in hatching the plot on condition that he has Infantino’s ear.

Both approach, it’s not a superb search for the person English soccer first got here to know 30 years in the past when he arrived from Japan to take over as Arsenal supervisor.

The Professor, they known as him. The forward-thinking coach whose concepts had a profound impact on the Arsenal tradition and past the marbled halls of Highbury.

Wenger has continued to affect soccer’s improvement since he was appointed by Infantino in November 2019, 18 months after he had left Arsenal after 22 years in cost.

Amongst different issues, he heads up the £160million FIFA Expertise Coach Programme which develops younger gamers in poorer international locations the place the trail to skilled soccer is missing, and for that he deserves credit score. He additionally leads a FIFA taskforce on participant welfare which goals to handle issues over the growing calls for of the soccer calendar, though how Wenger’s proposal to stage the World Cup each two years would assist in that regard is anybody’s guess.

It could be refreshing to suppose {that a} man of his affect and intelligence would have the ability to stand as much as Infantino’s rampant egotism, however sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case.

It’s not a superb search for the person English soccer first got here to know 30 years in the past when he arrived from Japan to take over as Arsenal supervisor and turned them into champions

Wenger will do what he at all times does as of late. He’ll observe his grasp and nod alongside to no matter hare-brained concept Infantino comes up with subsequent

Earlier than the World Cup closing, he claimed the brand new 48-team format had been a hit – although no less than had the decency to confess that not everybody was a fan of the hydration breaks.

It could be fascinating to listen to what Wenger actually thinks of the plan to dump the World Cup and Infantino’s supply to offer member associations £30million in the event that they settle for it by September 19, which has met with such resistance across the globe together with the specter of a UEFA boycott. However let’s not maintain our breath. He’ll do what he at all times does as of late. He’ll observe his grasp and nod alongside to no matter hare-brained concept Infantino comes up with subsequent.

FIFA tried to extinguish the fireplace on Friday as its president confronted rising calls to step down. ‘No one is promoting soccer. This isn’t one thing FIFA would ever entertain,’ learn a press release.

However they aren’t fooling anybody. The world can see Infantino for what he’s now – and we see Wenger standing squarely behind him.