FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under criticism in Italy after making a light-hearted remark about the country's recent struggles to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
Speaking to Brazilian broadcaster CazéTV about the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, Infantino joked about Italy's qualification record, dpa reports.
"Maybe Italy will qualify for a World Cup with 64 teams, or we could even go up to 228 teams," he said.
The comment referred to Italy's failure to reach the last two World Cups, despite being one of the most successful nations in international football. FIFA currently has 211 member associations.
According to the ANSA news agency, Italy's Sports Minister, Andrea Abodi, expressed irritation over the remark and said he intends to discuss the matter directly with the FIFA chief.
"Given the great distance between Italy and Mexico, a phone call to clarify the situation, depending on his schedule, is the best option. I'm interested in hearing his thoughts," Abodi said.
Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, last appeared at the tournament in 2014 FIFA World Cup.
By Sabina Mammadli
Source: caliber.az
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