The world of football has taken a massive toll from the coronavirus pandemic. Postponed games and tournaments, teams being forced to pay less money to their players, and fans not being able to enjoy the sport they love, are some of the consequences of the pandemic. So, with that in mind, FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes that something good could emerge from this crisis, and it would help shift the sport's landscape for years to come.
Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Infantino admitted that even if some leagues and nations disagree with his views, this crisis could see FIFA reducing the number of games being played around the world, which would also help improve the quality of the product they are offering to the general public.
"We need to study the global impact of this crisis. It's hard to do so now, because we don't know when things will go back to normal, but let's see this as a chance to change things. Maybe we can go backwards and reform football with different formats. Less tournaments, but more interesting to watch," Infantino said.
FIFA's 50-year-old president went on by admitting that such change could also be good for all players.
"We might think about playing with less teams, but with each of them having a better chance to go all the way- Less games to protect the health of the players, but more even games. It's not science-fiction. We have to calculate the damage, and we will find a way to sort them out," Infantino added.
Infantino urged all federations and execs to keep on working for the benefit of the game despite any gloomy predictions, adding that FIFA will support them in any way they can.
"Health comes first, and then, everything else. As for each football federation exec, all we can do is wait for the best and prepare for the worst-case scenarios. We don't have to panic about it. We will go back to the pitch once we are not placing anyone in jeopardy. All federations and leagues must follow the recommendations of their health authorities," Infantino concluded.
