Uefa’s master of ceremonies Gianni Infantino to stand for Fifa presidency

Sorry Gianni, but this won't be decided by a ponderous televised draw.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino has entered the race for the Fifa presidency. European football bosses have thrown their 'unanimous' support behind the Italian after current Uefa president Michel Platini became embroiled in the ongoing investigation in Fifa corruption. Infantino is well known to football fans for his genial hosting of the interminable draws for Uefa club and international competitions, but the bid to move from talking a series of ex-footballers through the process of picking balls out of a plastic tub and unscrewing them to running world football is an audacious one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0gu3R4svEI A Uefa statement said Infantino 'has all the qualities required to tackle the major challenges ahead and to lead the organisation on a path of reform to restore Fifa's integrity and credibility'. The deadline for nominations is today, and Infantino joins another eight candidates intending to run, including Platini, Prince Ali of Jordan, who was defeated by outgoing president Sepp Blatter in elections earlier this year, Fifa general secretary Jerome Champagne, South Africa's Tokyo Sexwale and Asian federaion boss Sheikh Salman. The election will take place at a Special Fifa Congress on February 26.