Platini: Infantino has become 'more of an autocrat' as FIFA boss

Former UEFA president Michel Platini has criticised his ex-general secretary Gianni Infantino and said he has become "more of an autocrat" as FIFA president.

Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 in succession of Joseph Blatter, after an original candidacy from Platini to rise from the European to the world governing body ended when he, and Blatter, were banned from football for ethics violations.

Platini claimed to British paper The Guardian that his ban was political because people within FIFA didn't want him at the top of the organization.

He said that Infantino was not among the instigators but that he changed once he was elected FIFA president.

“He was a good No 2, but is not a good No 1. He worked very well at UEFA but he has one problem: he likes the rich and powerful people, the ones with money. It’s his character. He was like that as a No 2, but back then he was not the boss," Platini said.

"Unfortunately Infantino has become more of an autocrat since the pandemic.

"I think he lost the game. There is less democracy (within FIFA) than in Blatter’s time. You can say what you want about Blatter, but his main problem is that he wanted to continue at Fifa for life. He was a good person for football."

Infantino has been criticised for being close to the likes of United States President Donald Trump.

Platini said that FIFA has lost its values and wants UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin to play a bigger role within FIFA again.

"Ceferin has to be more present in FIFA. UEFA was always something important: it was a counterbalance to the silly things done by Fifa," he said.

"You have to be more energetic in defending the values of football. I have no contact with him and don’t want to interfere, but I think it is the only way to stop Infantino doing some stupid things."