FIFA has failed to regain public trust under President Gianni Infantino, according to Prince Ali, left ©Getty Images

FIFA has failed to regain public trust under President Gianni Infantino and is run in a similar manner to the previous regime, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein claimed here today.

Infantino declared that he was in charge of a "new FIFA" which was "deeply honest", but Prince Ali, who unsuccessfully stood against the Swiss last year, has cast serious doubt on that assertion.

In an impassioned speech to the Congress, the FIFA President said the organisation was a "democracy not a dictatorship" and later reiterated his belief that the crisis at the scandal-hit governing body, sparked by the widespread corruption scandal, was over.

However, Prince Ali, the head of the Jordanian Football Association insisted that "it is fairly obvious that a lot of things have not changed".

"I am not going to judge anyone but what I will say is that the system, the way business is are conducted is the same," he said. 

"I don’t see the refreshing change, the openness, the transparency that everybody talks about really taking effect on the ground.

When asked whether the governing body remained in danger amid ongoing criminal investigations, Prince Ali added: "I think so. 

"It has already lost the battle of public opinion, we had a good chance to rebuild that and we need to, this is the world we live in – things cannot be conducted behind closed doors, everyone wants to know what is going on."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated his claim that the crisis was over for world football's governing body ©Getty Images
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated his claim that the crisis was over for world football's governing body ©Getty Images

All the proposals put forward to the Congress, drawn up by FIFA's ruling Council, were passed with an overwhelming majority and the Jordanian said that was symptomatic of the current state of the organisation.

"The way it has been going is the Council proposes something and the members agree to it," he added.

"Have they shared it with the Congress at least and has the President explained the reasons why they are doing things?

"That comes with responsibility, and that is what is lacking so it is a difficult situation.

"The leadership has to play that role so I am disappointed."

Prince Ali, who claimed he was not thinking about mounting another challenge for the FIFA Presidency in 2019, also criticised Infantino for his persistent rhetoric that the organisation was no longer in crisis.

"We are in a crisis, you can't have a FIFA President who says everything is fine, as we have heard before, when obviously it is not," he said.

"Every other week something new comes to light and there are very serious allegations."