Peter

🚨 Thierry Henry on Rui Pinto accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino of corruption in Manchester City’s 115 charges and PSG: 🗣️ Thierry Henry: “We have to look at the broader picture here. The football world has never been the same since Infantino became president. “There has been a virus eating deep into football, and that virus is the belief that oil money and financial power are valued more than hard work, talent and sporting merit. “I’ll tell you how. Look back at the 2022 World Cup. Before the final was even played, the football world already seemed to be preparing the story of Messi as the greatest of all time. There was already a golden rope prepared for him with ‘GOAT’ written on it. “How did they know Argentina would win the World Cup and produce a rope for Messi if the result had not happened yet? These are the questions people are allowed to ask. “Fast-forward to the 2026 World Cup, and we are now seeing FIFA surrounded by even more questions about money, private investors and relationships with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the same regions heavily involved in the modern football economy and connected to clubs like Manchester City and PSG. “Then look at PSG. “We have seen them spend enormous amounts of money, move players in and out and rebuild their starting team almost whenever they want. Then look at Manchester City. This wasn’t simply normal football business anymore. We were talking about hundreds of millions being invested into building a football empire. “And now City have been found guilty of serious financial breaches. They are appealing, yes, but you cannot look at everything happening around football and tell people there is nothing to question. “Football used to be about talent and tactics. A great manager could take a group of players, develop them and compete with anybody. “Now it feels like the biggest investors have the biggest advantage. The richest clubs can spend amounts that other clubs simply cannot keep up with, and then everyone is told, ‘This is just modern football.’ “No. At some point, we have to ask where the line is. “And this is why I understand why Manchester United refused to sell the club to Saudi investors. Because once enormous financial and political interests enter football, you have to ask what comes with that money. “You look at Manchester City. You look at PSG. You look at FIFA. You look at the accusations surrounding Infantino. You look at the relationships between football and these enormous financial interests. “And you start to understand why people are questioning how deep this goes. “I’m not saying every accusation is automatically proven. But when there are this many questions surrounding the people controlling the biggest institutions in football, you cannot simply tell everyone to be quiet. “Whatever punishment Manchester City eventually receives, football cannot continue pretending that everything is fine. “We cannot allow money to become more important than sporting integrity. “And we cannot have a FIFA president surrounded by this many questions about power, money and influence and simply expect supporters to trust the system. “For me, this is bigger than Manchester City. “It is bigger than PSG. “It is bigger than one World Cup. “This is about the direction football is going. “Infantino has to answer these questions. And if the football world no longer trusts the direction he is taking the sport, then he has to step down or be voted out. “Because right now, it feels like there is a worm eating deep into this beautiful game. “And the earlier we cut it out, the earlier we can start getting our football back.”