Coronavirus: FIFA President Gianni Infantino to 211 Member Associations: 'Health comes first'
Zurich, Switzerland (PANA) - In a very strong message to all the 211 Member Associations across the world, the President of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, says "Health comes First".
Through a video message published on the FIFA TV on Sunday, Infantino talked about the challenging times brought about by the COVID-19, the brave approach about the pandemic, the gradual steps of having the game played by the individual member associations and FIFA’s measures as the beautiful game steadily returns to the scene.
He recalled FIFA's medical recommendations issued last week, saying they are designed to support the road map to the restart of competitions which always keeps in mind the most important principle that “Health comes first”.
"Following my last message, I want to take this opportunity to provide you with an update concerning FIFA activities, including the possibility of having five substitutions per side in a match and protecting the health of our players," Infantino said "Even if we are distant, we remain one team and united we support those who have been suffering during this different time."
Infantino warned "We need to maintain public health as the priority while not forgetting the well-being of the players, officials and everyone who participates in any football activity.
"FIFA trusts the judgment that you, together with the Governments and health authorities of your countries have made or will make.
"We hope that the WHO risk assessment tool and our guidelines can help you in deciding the best cause of action".
The FIFA Chief said football is already underway or about to restart in several countries, expressing the hope that "this will give us and all the football fans across the globe some hope for the future.
"However, we also have to understand and respect the different decisions especially from those amongst us who still need more time to be sure that the restart can be done in a way that is safe for everyone.
"Tolerance and understanding are important especially in these days. I suppose FIFA supports every one of you. There isn’t any one right answer to all the situations. Each country is different with different context and no one better than you knows the best way to deal with these enormous challenges."
Dear friends, he said "Let us not forget that there is always need to be a place for fans. Football without spectators is clearly not the same. We need to be patient when considering the right time to bring back the fans back to the stadia. We will continue to work tirelessly but also discretely and respectfully to move beyond these temporary measures and to ensure that fans are welcomed back in a safe and responsible way."
"This is a time to work together, Infantino said "to share experiences and to help one another. Through this solidarity, the Bureau of the FIFA Council, we will also find the solutions to shape a better football for the future.
On club football, Infantino said while there is the need to resume soccer at the club level, which has understandably taken priority, we must also consider national teams, women football, lower tier domestic leagues and the grass-roots game. We have to show unity across all aspects of football and make sure football can resume globally.
"This is our priority and our financial relief plan will also follow this principle," he promised.
He said, "as we seek to benefit all aspects of our football, FIFA is working hard to present a positive solution to the FIFA Council in the coming weeks.
"We are developing a system which is manageable but also on its best. We want the financial relief plan to have a broad reach that includes women’s football that operates in a modern efficient and transparent way. This means having a robust governance structure which ensures accountability on how the financial sums will be allocated."
-0- PANA VAO 7June2020
