Dubai: Former Fifa World Player of the Year Luis Figo threw his weight behind Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino for the Fifa presidency on the sidelines of the DP World Tour Championship this week.
The Portugal legend, who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, was following English rookie golfer Matthew Fitzpatrick around on day three of the tournament, but stopped to talk football politics with local radio.
“I think we need much more democracy and transparency in the organisation and we need a change,” said Figo of Fifa.
The 43-year-old had been set to run for the world footballing bodies’ presidential elections in February, but dropped out of the running in May saying he didn’t want to be given “absolute power”. Now he’s backing Infantino to replace Sepp Blatter instead.
“I hope Gianni Infantino can win and be president, I’m supporting him because I think his ideas are what I defend and I think he’s the right person,” he added.
Figo followed Fitzpatrick at the golf after the pair struck up an unlikely friendship on twitter last month when the retired footballer tweeted the 21-year-old to congratulate him for his British Masters win. Since then, the pair, who share agents, have kept in touch and when Fitzpatrick discovered his footballing idol was in Dubai he invited the legend to come and watch him play.
