"OPEN SEASON!" Simon Jordan WEIGHS IN on FIFA hitting back at the media for FALSE REPORTS!
FIFA hits back at false reports as Infantino is said to face an “open season”
The show discusses The Times’ correction and apology to FIFA over false claims about Gianni Infantino. The guest argues Infantino faces a coordinated effort to bring him down, while the host questions whether there is a concerted agenda and the debate turns to whether football factions, especially UEFA, are briefing the media.
- It is open season on Infantino and there is a coordinated agenda using the media to bring him down; there is no need to run unverified stories because there are plenty of legitimate criticisms to make. — A major newspaper and journalist would only have run it if the source seemed significant, but false stories blur the real case against him.
- Big allegations must be accurate whatever the medium, and people should be judged by correct standards. — The claim that Infantino took two salaries was wrong and the publication has had to explain and correct it.
- Negative stories about Infantino are readily believed because minds are already made up about him; another figure would have faced more scepticism. — His recent decisions over World Cup commercialisation and the US player eligibility row have shaped a public image that makes people prone to believe the worst.
- I do not think there is a concerted agenda against Infantino. — No specific reason is given; this is a disagreement with the guest’s claim about football factions.
- The coordinated agenda is not really from the media itself but from certain factions in football, especially UEFA. — UEFA’s president is also a FIFA vice-president, so they have access to information and can brief influential outlets to create background noise and momentum.
- We covered the “double salary” story on this show, so if it was not true we are obliged to correct it; a quiet apology from elsewhere is not enough. — Accuracy is essential and a story being wrong should not simply be buried.
- Infantino will end up bringing himself down for other reasons; a viable opponent and solid evidence are enough, and there is no need to invent stories. — There is already enough to criticise in his conduct and self-interest, so false stories only distract from the real case.
Simon Jordan and Jim White discuss the latest on FIFA and Gianni Infantino. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT?subconfirmation=1 🏆 Ready to win? Check out the latest prizes at talkSPORTwin.com Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's X/Twitter: https://x.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 talkSPORT PremierLeague
Transcript
This has caught my eye. We've Everybody's been having their say on Janney Infantino and what went on at the World Cup in the US survey. Uh and of course all sorts of subsequent stories off the back of those World Cup finals in the United States. Not least in reportedly taking a call from Donald Trump regarding Balagan who played in that match against Belgium for the USA when he wasn't eligible to play in the match against Belgium. A match they lost by four goals to one. and they went out. Anyway, anyway, it appears that you can't just have a he's not a free hit when it comes to reporting is Janney Infantino because FIFA and Infantino hit just as hard back. Um, and the Times here has issued a correction and an apology to both Infantino and FIFA for a story published uh earlier this month which uh seems to have contained false information about the body's president. Um it was alleged that Infantino had taken a second salary that had not been disclosed and the Times has now admitted that that was incorrect. FIFA has responded to the apology which the Times has issued saying it is evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president. FIFA urges the media to act responsibly and carefully verify all sourcing to prevent the publication and subsequent reproduction of false and defamatory information. So FIFA basically saying, "Yep, you can hit us hard on Infantino, but we'll hit back." Yeah, I mean, it's it's open season on Infantino. And I don't suspect that you need to have stories that aren't well stood up to be able to find ways to bring Infantino down. There clearly seems to be an agenda. Media are being utilized in a way to be able to make sure that that agenda is perhaps served out. It' be fascinating. We'll never know who's briefing in the journalist because it must have been someone of significance for a major newspaper and a journalist of the caliber that wrote the article to to feel that that information was reliable enough. But, you know, to swing around saying things about people and not get it right and not get it right when there are lots of other reasons why you can say things about them that are critical to me means that there's an open season on Infantino. I mean, some people might say, "Well, it doesn't really matter. However you get this man out of the job, get him out of the job." >> But that can't be right. If you're making big allegations, whoever the whatever the medium is, whether it's a broadcaster, a newspaper, podcast, right? >> It's got to be accurate. if you haven't got it right because it's important to be able to judge people by correct standards and the observation about him getting two salaries was wrong >> and they've explained why it was wrong and it's interesting to see but what it does show you is that the agenda is set now the minds are set because I wonder if Infantino was not someone that had created the public eye that he has created recently by his decisions to sell off aspects of uh the World Cup and the operations around football whether his involvement in the Balagan situation and all the other things that have gone on with him if he were something completely different. Yeah. >> Would this story have been stood up a bit more and the reaction being, "Oh, that's strange. Where's that come from?" rather than the propensity to move straight into the scenario where >> uh well, it's Infantino, so it must be true. I'm sure the journalists will say that's not the case. I'm sure he said he he'll feel that he had a verifiable source, but it was wrong. And if Infantino is going to be taken out of office, it should be taken out of office on things that he's done rather than things that people are creating opportunities. You know, >> I don't think there's a concerted agenda against Infantino. >> Yeah, but I'm not suggesting from the media because the media will take it information and be delighted to have it, right? >> But there's a concerted agenda amongst certain factions of football, >> UEFA, >> of course. >> So if UEFA briefing into people, don't forget UEFA have access to FIFA, you got you, you know, the president of U of UEFA is the vice president of FIFA, right? So these are people are privy to information and how they represent it into meaningful mediums that can create background noise and momentum about individuals are part of the equation. So whilst some people might say well you know what whatever gets infantino out of office >> I don't care all's fair and love and war. Yeah I mean FIFA saying look you can't just print or say anything you fancy in the time statement they also say we also accept that Mr. Infantino did not purchase a property in Miami at a suspected under value as we reported. So I mean FIFA are watch for a moment. We should never think they're not listening. They're not watching. They are. I'm not I'm not applauding FIFA for being able to give somebody a smack because evidently they got it wrong. I'm just curious to make sure that we are a cuz we covered Infantina. We covered on this show the story about Infantino getting a double salary. >> Yeah. So incumbent upon us if that's not the case because it's all well and good that you get these little buried away apologies from people. I've had it in my life. But when someone's got it wrong and when a story is not right >> and when a situation infant will take himself down for other reasons. We don't need to allow open season on somebody when stories aren't right. >> Yeah. You still think he'll take himself down for other reasons. If there's a viable candidate to oppose him, there's enough evidence about what Infantino's activities are and the reasons why he wants to self-p profofit, then create stories that clearly weren't right. >> Yeah. >> Because the source had their own motivations for giving it to the media in a way that the media felt was sustainable enough to write an article. >> Sure. Okay. So much for Infantino. Uh, another viable candidate is that candidate Arson Wenger. He's 77 today. You didn't know that. Or maybe you did.