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(Sports) FIFA's new boss visits Thailand

Xinhua, April 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino met Thai prime minister and discussed the cooperation between the world football's governing body and Thailand right after he landed here Thursday.

Infantino, who was elected Fifa president in February, arrived in Thailand to join the 100th anniversary celebrations of The Football Association of Thailand (FAT).

He was given a warm welcome by FAT President Somyot Poompunmuang, who has invited the FIFA's new boss to visit Thailand and requested Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for a meeting with Fifa chief to discuss ways to help football development in the kingdom since the beginning of April.

The new FIFA chief has attached significant importance to Asia as he believes that today football is global, which is not only played in Europe, or Europe and South America. Thailand is one of the only three destinations during his Asia trip which will also take him to South Korea and Qatar.

Asia currently has four automatic spots at the World Cup, with a fifth up for grabs in an inter-confederation play-off. Infantino said that number could rise to at least six under an expanded format.

Infantino is in favour of co-hosted World Cups, opening the door for smaller countries without massive infrastructure to hold the event.

Thai football has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals linked to deposed Football Association of Thailand chief Worawai Makudi.

Worawi, who had dominated the game in Thailand for years, is suspended from football activities by a FIFA ethics panel.

Somyot, the retired police chief, was supported by a number of big Thai football clubs as well as his friend Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the billionaire owner of table-topping English Premier League outfit Leicester. He succeeded Worawi in February.

Somyot was the frontrunner in a rowdy and often acrimonious campaign that brought to light massive public discontent with the game's administrators in the football-mad country.

In his statement of the new vision of FIFA, Infantino said there was zero tolerance to wrongdoings that might have happened and he was convinced Somyot is the right person to lead football in Thailand. Endit