Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, to be granted Lebanese citizenship | OneFootball

The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, informed the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, of his approval to grant him Lebanese citizenship this Tuesday, as stated to AFP by the head of the Lebanese Football Association.

“The president informed (Infantino) about the decree and the requirements of the process to complete its implementation. The decree granting citizenship to Infantino was issued because he is a public figure who provides services to Lebanon,” said Hashem Haidar, head of the Lebanese Football Association (LFA).

A government official, who requested anonymity, confirmed the offer. Infantino, 55, is Swiss-Italian and married to a Lebanese woman, Leena al-Ashqar, who has previously worked for the LFA.

“I don't have it yet, but soon. I feel very good and very proud, I am very happy. I have been Lebanese for many years, so it's good to formalize it as well,” Infantino told the Lebanese channel LBCI.

According to the LFA website, Aoun asked Infantino to “complete the necessary legal documents and papers to finalize the Lebanese citizenship decree at a later date.” Infantino stated that Lebanon needed “a state-of-the-art football stadium.”

“We are exploring the possibility of building a completely new stadium… (for) 20 to 30 thousand spectators,” he added. “A stadium today is not just a place where you play,” said Infantino. “A stadium today is a symbol of a country, and Lebanon needs a symbol for sport and football that shows it wants to move forward into the future in a modern environment. For the youth of this country.”

Photo: Leonardo Fernandez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Haidar said that Infantino had “committed to covering all the costs of the new stadium in Lebanon.” “We have to secure the land for the stadium and they will take care of the rest of the construction process, and they insisted that the stadium be in Beirut,” he added.

The Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut is the largest in Lebanon, with a capacity of approximately 50,000 spectators. It was inaugurated in 1957 and renovated before hosting the Arab Games in 1997, but has suffered from neglect in recent years.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.