Claude Le Roy, the 78-year-old French coach who manages the Republic of the Congo national team, has renewed his attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of caring only about money and of damaging football.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Le Roy said Infantino never talks about football and only talks about money. He said that when Infantino arrives in a country, it is not the president of the football federation he wants to see but the head of state, because that is the only thing that interests him. Le Roy said people like Infantino damage football, and that he would fight against them until his last breath.
A 'Scapin of modern football'
Le Roy described Infantino as the "Scapin of modern football," a reference to the scheming, self-serving servant character from Moliere's comedies, accusing the FIFA president of putting his own interests ahead of the sport he is meant to run.
The comments come as Infantino has been shaken by a series of controversies in recent weeks, leaving his hold on the leadership of world football's governing body looking more precarious than at any point in his time in charge. Infantino, who is Italian-Swiss, has led FIFA since 2016.
Le Roy's career across Africa
Le Roy has built much of his long coaching career on the African continent. Alongside his current post with the Republic of the Congo, he has previously coached the national teams of Cameroon, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Togo.
Drawing on that experience, he argued that Infantino's decisions have been harmful specifically to African football. He said the Africa Cup of Nations, the continental championship held every four years, works against Africa, and that this damages the development of young talent, the building of stadiums and access roads, and improvements to living conditions in the countries that host or take part in it.
Infantino's African support in question
Support from African federations is expected to be crucial to Infantino's chances of staying in his post, with the next FIFA presidential election due to take place in March 2027.
Several federations have already said they no longer back Infantino, after the revelation of his plan to open the World Cup up to foreign investors.
Le Roy did not detail which federations had withdrawn their support or say what response, if any, Infantino or FIFA had given to his latest remarks.
