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FIFA corruption scandal

Gianni Infantino elected new FIFA president

With the necessary 104 votes to win in the second round of the election, Infantino, who is the UEFA secretary general, received 115 votes

Gianni Infantino EPA/ENNIO LEANZA

Gianni Infantino

© EPA/ENNIO LEANZA

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ZURICH, February 26. /TASS/. UEFA Secretary General was elected on Friday the new president of FIFA following the second round of voting, where he received the majority of votes from 207 eligible members associations.

With the necessary 104 votes to win in the second round of the election, Infantino, who is the secretary general of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), received 115 votes.

"I cannot express my feelings," Infantino told the Congress after the results were announced. "We will restore the image of FIFA."

"Many people will applaud to what we do in FIFA," Infantino said. "I would like to thank you everyone and all candidates."

FIFA member associations convened in Zurich on Friday for its extraordinary Congress with the main aim of electing the organization’s new president and vote on the landmark reformations to the organization.

Born in Switzerland, 45-year-old Infantino served as the UEFA secretary general since 2009 and speaks fluently English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

A total of five candidates were initially running on Friday for the post of the FIFA presidency: South Africa’s ex-Minister of Housing Construction Tokyo Sexwale, UEFA Secretary General Gianni Infantino, FIFA Vice President and Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, former-FIFA Secretary General Jerome Champagne and President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

However, minutes before the election of the new FIFA president Tokyo Sexwale, announced the decision to withdraw his candidacy.

The first round of voting ended with the results: Infantino — 88 votes, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa — 85 votes, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein — 27 votes and Jerome Champagne — 7 votes.

Read also

FIFA president election: in bid to end crisis

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