The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, received this Saturday (6) the honorary citizenship of Reggio Calabria, city located in southern Italy, the birthplace of his father, Vincenzo Infantino.
The tribute was presented by Mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà in an official ceremony. "This tribute is beautiful and important to me and will help strengthen the ties I've always had with this place," Infantino declared.
feeling of belonging
The leader, born in Brig, Switzerland, is the son of a Lombard mother and a Calabrian father. Commenting on the occasion, he compared the emotion of the moment to high-level official events. "Two weeks ago, I was at the White House, next to President [Donald] Trump, but the emotion I feel here today is completely different," he stated.
According to Infantino, the values inherited from his heritage have driven him forward. "If I've achieved everything I've done, and everything I will do, it's also thanks to this splendid land, full of values that gave me the will to dream and always try," he added.
History of emigration
Mayor Falcomatà highlighted the symbolism of the tribute by linking it to the history of emigration in the south of the country. "The story of the Infantino family is a bit like that of southern Italy. And also of so many parents who faced the choice of staying in their birthplaces or leaving," he said.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, holds dual Swiss and Italian citizenship.
