Uefa legal case may be beginning of the end for Infantino as Trump’s support evaporates | Barney Ronay

Gianni Infantino already looks to be running out of support in the light of being accused of ‘criminal mismanagement’ by Uefa. Illustration: Cameron Law/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Gianni Infantino already looks to be running out of support in the light of being accused of ‘criminal mismanagement’ by Uefa. Illustration: Cameron Law/The Guardian Uefa legal case may be beginning of the end for Infantino as Trump’s support evaporates Barney Ronay The order of discovery related to Fifa’s failed plan to sell the World Cup will worry the American president, a situation that tends to end badly for the culprit “Tell Mike it was just business. I always liked him.” “He understands.” “Tom, can you get me off the hook? For old times’ sake?” “Sorry can’t do it.” I never believed it would actually happen. Not until this week, when, for the first time, there was a sense, as The Godfather makes so abundantly clear, that you really can get to anyone. Fifa calls Uefa’s legal threat a ‘smear campaign’ in US federal filing Gianni Infantino is beleaguered. Gianni Infantino has been beleaguered for almost six weeks, since news emerged of his grotesque undercover plan to sell off, for related personal gain, the shared global property he’s employed to preserve, protect and safely pass on. There has been hopeful talk in that time of toxic status attained, a base being hollowed out, a rival presidential candidate next March. Entrenched dictatorial power runs even deeper. Infantino is already the man who sold the world, not once, but twice, most recently to Donald Trump in return for a peace prize, a scrunchie and a fawning presence around the sub-table of power. Chuck in a Football Jesus turn at the lighted lectern a few weeks from now, arms whirling like a street magician, reeling off the usual stuff about caring and sharing, égalité, fraternité, fiscal stimuli. Look deep into those weirdly flat painted-on eyes, cold and hard behind the papier-mache mask of power. You don’t buy me out. But something has shifted this week. It was never going to be the gnats around his ankles that did for Infantino: another thundering newspaper column, the latest stern denouncement from – whoah, hang on – former Manchester United utility defender Mikaël Silvestre. Hard power is something else, however. And two things have now happened, both responses to the threat of a Uefa lawsuit, which I believe has no really serious notions of ultimate victory, but which may turn out to be an expert chess move, a zugzwang that leaves the king having to go somewhere, but with no safe spaces left to hide.