FIFA President Gianni Infantino "visited the headquarters of Leicester's ownership company on Thursday and said the club's Premier League title run shows that fairytales are still possible," according to the AP.
Infantino, visiting Thailand for the centenary of the local FA, "met with local officials at the hotel connected to the headquarters of King Power, the duty free company which is the main business interest" of Leicester Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Infantino said,
"Money does not necessarily win in football. Fairytales like the fairytale of Leicester are exactly showing us that football is unpredictable. Money is an important element when you build up a team, but it's not only this."
The FIFA president said that "he was impressed by his meeting with the new head of the Football Association of Thailand, former national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung."
Somyot "represented a new administration for the FAT following the suspension of predecessor Worawi Makudi, the former FIFA executive committee member who is now banned as part of the fallout from the FIFA scandal."
Infantino:
"We have zero tolerance on any of the wrongdoing that may have happened. I am convinced he (Somyot) is the right person to lead football in Thailand into a new era."
Infantino "also discussed the ongoing suspension of Indonesia, and said the country was running out of time to come up with reform proposals and avoid a lengthy ban" (AP, 4/28). In a separate piece, the AFP reported Infantino "is on a charm offensive" to restore the battered organization's reputation after it was engulfed last year by a massive corruption scandal.
He said that "he was in favour of co-hosted World Cups, opening the door for smaller countries without massive infrastructure to hold the event" (AFP, 4/28). XINHUA reported the new FIFA chief "has attached significant importance to Asia as he believes that today football is global." Thai football "has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals" linked to deposed Makudi. Somyot "was supported by a number of big Thai football clubs." Somyot "was the frontrunner in a rowdy and often acrimonious campaign that brought to light massive public discontent with the game's administrators in the football-mad country" (XINHUA, 4/28).
