Football Association President Infantino will obtain Lebanese citizenship

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun informed FIFA President Gianni Infantino of his approval to grant him Lebanese citizenship, during a meeting with his wife on Tuesday, according to what the head of the Lebanese Football Federation revealed to Agence France-Presse.

An official source, who declined to reveal his identity, confirmed the news to Agence France-Presse.

The president of the Lebanese Federation, Hashem Haidar, who was present during the meeting at Baabda Palace, said, “The president informed him of the decree and the requirements of the file so that he could complete its implementation. The decree granting citizenship to Infantino came as he is a public figure who provides services to Lebanon.”

Regarding his feelings about the possibility of obtaining citizenship, Infantino told LBC, “I don’t have it yet, but soon.” I feel very happy and proud, I feel very happy. “I feel like I have been Lebanese for many years, so it is good to formalize that as well.”

Infantino (55 years old) holds dual Swiss and Italian citizenship and is married to Lebanese Lina Al-Ashqar, a former employee of the Lebanese Football Association.

According to the official website of the Lebanese Federation, “The President of the Republic asked Infantino to complete the necessary legal documents and papers to finally sign the Lebanese citizenship decree at a later time, in line with the established constitutional procedures.”

While Aoun promised to secure land allocated to the Lebanese Federation to establish a training stadium and a modern headquarters for the Federation, Infantino added, “What we need here in Lebanon is a modern-style football stadium, a stadium that hosts the national team’s matches and of which the fans can be proud.”

He continued, “We are exploring the possibilities of building a new stadium in Beirut… with a capacity between 20 and 30 thousand spectators.” “Today’s stadiums are not only for hosting football matches, but they are a symbol of the country, and Lebanon needs a symbol of sports and football that shows that it is willing to move towards the future in a modern environment for the young generation.”

Haider added, “Infantino pledged to pay all the costs of the new stadium in Lebanon. We have to secure the stadium’s land, and they are taking care of the rest of the construction process. They insisted that the stadium be in (the capital) Beirut.”

The Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut is the largest in Lebanon and can accommodate about 50,000 spectators. It opened in 1957 and underwent renovation before hosting the Arab Games in 1997, but has suffered from neglect in recent years.