FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s salary has been fixed at 1.5 million Swiss francs a year (1.38 million euros, $1.5 million), world football’s governing body revealed on Wednesday.
That figure is less than a quarter of the salary commanded by Infantino’s disgraced predecessor, Sepp Blatter.
However, Infantino’s earnings will be bolstered by bonuses, including the use of a car and home during his term of office, as well as 2,000 Swiss francs a month in expenses.
“Given the earlier misunderstandings and misrepresentations concerning this process and my compensation, I am pleased that this matter is now resolved and that I have a signed, valid employment contract,” said Infantino, referring to previous rumours that his salary would be higher.
“The financial elements of the contract reflect more than any word can reflect, my strong will to end the types of behaviour that, in the recent past, have led to abuses.”
FIFA’s secretary general Fatma Samoura, the first woman to hold that post, will earn 1.3 million Swiss francs with bonuses of a car and the same monthly expenses as Infantino.
FIFA’s statement said the figures had been agreed between the Compensation Sub-Committee and the top two officials.
Bonus payments will only begin from 2017.
“The Compensation Sub-Committee decided that bonuses would not be awarded for 2016 because the Sub-Committee members, the President and the Secretary General believe that FIFA’s current compensation policy is inadequate and open to malfunction and misuse,” said FIFA in the statement.
“Bonus payments from 2017 onwards will be awarded in accordance with objective criteria related to FIFA’s mission and operations as well as the outcome of the organisational reforms that are currently being implemented.”
The statement said Infantino’s salary was less than a quarter of the average amount paid to Blatter from 2010-15.
The Sub-Committee’s chairman Tomaz Vesel said: “The compensation amounts in our view are absolutely appropriate considering the challenging duties of the President and the Secretary General.”
On the issue of bonuses, which resulted in the downfall of several former top FIFA officials who unilaterally awarded themselves astronomical sums, Vesel added: “Historic shortcomings demonstrate that the present policy is inadequate. We will be reviewing the policy with an eye towards developing a new draft that is in keeping with the organisation’s commitment to good governance and transparency, one that will seek to prevent excessive payments as unfortunately happened in the past.”
Blatter, former secretary general Jerome Valcke and former finance director Markus Kattner, all three now serving bans from football, awarded themselves more than 79 million Swiss francs through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives. – Agence France-Presse
