Today Gianni Infantino was elected President of FIFA, a move which was widely anticipated given his widespread support amongst European countries, who know him well from his time as Secretary General of UEFA.
His election is the first step towards cleaning out the Aegean Stables of corruption and graft that have marred the reputation of the game’s governing body.
This will mean many things to many people, but let’s narrow the focus somewhat.
What does it ultimately mean for Celtic?
On the surface the answer would appear to be “not a lot.” But look a little below the cool blue waters and you see many reasons to be optimistic about the future of the game, and in particular the place the governing agencies hold within it.
Infantino is a reformer, a true reformer, who at UEFA has pioneered some of the most sophisticated and over-due changes in the game.
He was the architect of Financial Fair Play, and the transformations in the Champions League which gave more national champions a route into the tournament groups. Those things are his babies; it is difficult to see him allowing their dismantling now that he is the most powerful person in the sport.
He’s also the guy who dreamed up the concept of playing the European Champions in 2020 in 13 cities across the continent, including in Scotland, at Hampden. He is one of the driving forces behind the expansion of the European Championship Finals to 24 team for this year, and he is one of the architects of the UEFA Nations League, which will be played from 2018 onwards instead of the current lists of international friendlies.
His term at UEFA was famed for the manner in which he pushed for reforms who’s result will be to involve more countries and clubs in major finals.
This is his legacy, and it’s inconceivable that his successor and the next head of UEFA will not carry that work on.
In short, the European Club Association gave its support to Infantino as FIFA President, but they don’t like a lot of his ideas.
He is a staunch believer in the concept of football as a game belonging to more than just the big clubs, and now he sits at the pinnacle of the sport itself.
Further reforms are certainly coming; this guy is an ideas man, and believes in the democratisation of football.
Whatever goes on behind closed doors, big changes are coming at every level.
But what’s definitely not coming, at least on his watch, is a sport which is more and more slanted towards a handful of teams.
This idiotic notion of “big clubs” getting into top competitions based on their revenues and support instead of on their respective successes in their domestic leagues … it will never see the light of day whilst this guy is in place and, if I’m being honest, it’s never going to be realised at all, no matter what some in the press might say.
All in all, I think we’ve got reasons to be pretty cheerful about this appointment.
Moves are underway in various places to change the nature of football, to remove sporting integrity from it completely … and we’d be mugs not to be concerned by that.
But football has a new head, and the smaller clubs and countries a new champion at the helm of the most powerful organisation in the sport.
I for one am pretty chuffed about that.