Blatter hits out at Infantino: A dictator without limits and may need a mental health facility

Former FIFA president Joseph Blatter has launched a fierce attack on his successor Gianni Infantino, calling him a "dictator" who knows no boundaries. He even went so far as to suggest sending him to a psychiatric hospital during an interview with the German magazine "Der Spiegel."

Sepp Blatter, who presided over FIFA from 1998 to 2015, stated that Infantino treats others in a way that reflects his feeling of superiority, adding: "He is a dictator. People in FIFA tell me that no one is allowed to ride the elevator with him; he is a person who cannot be touched."

The former FIFA president, who is 90 years old, added: "Infantino no longer knows any limits, he does not understand all of this. Perhaps he should be sent to a mental health facility once."

Sepp Blatter's remarks came in the context of his criticism of Gianni Infantino's project, which was later canceled after widespread controversy, to create a company to manage FIFA's commercial activities, with the possibility of selling minority stakes to private sector investors.

Blatter believes that Infantino's close relationship with US President Donald Trump has changed him, noting that the FIFA president now thinks he is destined to monopolize control over world football.

Despite the criticisms faced by Infantino regarding the project, he remains the frontrunner for a new term in the FIFA presidential elections scheduled for March 18, 2027, in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

Sepp Blatter was forced to resign from the FIFA presidency in late 2015 amid a series of scandals that affected the international federation. He faced charges alongside Frenchman Michel Platiny, before both were ultimately acquitted by the Swiss judiciary in 2025.