FIFA's President, The US Leader and this Quest for Global Harmony: A FIFA-Style Approach
'VARIOUS IDEOLOGIES … DIFFERENT APPROACHES …'
Following María Corina Machado won this year's international peace honor for her "persistent work promoting political freedoms", Donald Trump reacted with exactly the type of magnanimous behavior people could expect. After tirelessly managed a campaign of self-promotion to guarantee he was the recipient, the chief executive immediately claimed responsibility for the Venezuelan opposition leader's success, listed his own self-proclaimed and regularly questionable successes in the area of international diplomacy and criticized the legitimacy of the committee who determined not to grant the medal, cash prize and diploma to him.
Although protection considerations suggest it remains to be seen if the newly crowned Nobel laureate will emerge from concealment to receive her accolade personally at the Scandinavian presentation in December, a particular obsequious football association leader looks hell-bent on stealing her spotlight anyway. Yup, Gianni Infantino has chosen to award an honor for peace of his original design in before a global TV audience of hundreds of millions international football fans in the preceding days in the US city.
A man who has for years preached the importance of keeping political matters separate from the sport, specifically when they're the kind of political positions he deems uncomfortable or merely doesn't like, Infantino utilized his position at the American corporate gathering in the coastal metropolis to advocate his position about the power of soccer to bring together individuals of every color and creed, particularly those who have additional $5,000-plus available to acquire flexibly valued Geopolitics World Cup admissions.
"In a progressively unsettled and divided world, it is fundamental to acknowledge the exceptional effort of people who work hard to resolve disputes and unite individuals in an attitude of harmony", he announced. "Football represents unity and on behalf of the whole football community, the FIFA Harmony Award – Soccer Connects Globally will honor the tremendous work of such persons who bring together individuals, bringing confidence for coming years."
But who might he reference? While the football official was prudent not to offer specific indications concerning the identity of the initial prize's fortunate winner, he went on to transition into a probably separate and flattering tribute to his present Best Friend Forever (Or At Least Until August Next Year), Trump. His words undoubtedly had the desired effect. Globally, the most doubtful of commentators were joined in stating they understood exactly who would be winning the Pretend Peace Prize, with various people even advancing to present entirely baseless allegations that the convicted felon and competitive misconduct person under consideration might possibly compelled Infantino to create the honor just to offset the leader's sense of grievance at failing to receive the genuine honor.
As credible a scenario as it seems, Football Daily holds a different view, mainly due to the fact that in the preceding period the increasingly absurd Fifa boss has worked his path to such an extent up Trump's digestive tract that there's every chance this recent scheme was in fact his own idea.
And while we can probably assume it remains beyond the president's constrained creativity to present the most unexpected development by presenting the initial (and potentially concluding) harmony award to the environmental campaigner, the European statesman or the person of the Italian team's technical team who got between Ademola Lookman and the manager to avoid a disagreeable major tournament sideline confrontation, we can at least hope the Chelsea player and his Chelsea teammates are invited along to the city dressed in gear to execute a revenge-hijack of the president's honor occasion.
That particular metallic questionable trophy, or whichever additional equally appropriate ornament the football official opts to award the chief executive for his contributions to international unity and unity, would adequately compensate for the victory honor he notoriously appropriated and retained during the Club World Cup final award event.
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DAILY HIGHLIGHT
"A person who worked a lot with entertainment icons told me that the time that they reach renown is the stage they persist for their entire existence. I reflected: 'That doesn't bode well for me.' I was subject to media attention at 16 and positioned before the press. You develop, you start a family, but you continue as an athlete. And then, all of a sudden, it concludes but your whole identity is still wrapped up in the sport" – Joe Cole provides thoughtful perspective in this superb interview.
