According to Trump’s envoy, Italy has the necessary merits and should take over Iran’s place at the World Cup in football.
One of the United States special envoys have requested the International Football Federation (FIFA) to replace Iran with Italy at this summer’s World Cup finals in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
It is about Paolo Zampolli, who is the US’s special envoy for global partnerships, and who speaks to the Financial Times newspaper.
– I was born in Italy, and it would be a dream to see the Italian national team at a tournament held in the USA.
– With four WC titles, the team has the necessary merits to justify a place, says Zampolli to the newspaper.
He says that he has proposed the replacement both to Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, and to the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Italy failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup finals after a painful defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March.
The defeat sparked a storm of criticism in Italy, and the president of the Italian Football Federation ended up leaving his post.
At the end of February, the USA and Israel attacked Iran, which a few days later cast doubt on the country’s participation in this summer’s World Cup.
Later it was heard from the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, that Iran would boycott the USA, but not the World Cup finals in football.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohejerani told Iranian state television on Wednesday that the national team is fully prepared to participate in the finals.
Infantino said at a press conference last week that he is confident Iran will participate in this summer’s World Cup finals despite the war in the Middle East.
The White House declined to comment on Zampolli’s proposal to the Financial Times on Wednesday.
/ritzau/
