Ramon Vega exclusive: Infantino is not the right man to restore faith in FIFA

These are the most crucial few days in FIFA’s history. All eyes are on Zurich as we wait to see who will emerge on Friday evening as the new President of the embattled organization.

It has been a chastening year for FIFA and the mood here in Zurich is reflective.

There is a lot of speculation and rumour flying around the lobbies of the hotels and the contest between the two favourites, Sheikh Salman and Gianni Infantino, is a tight, hard-fought one.

However, to me one thing is clear - a clean break from the past is needed and I do not think Infantino represents this.

He has been the UEFA General Secretary now for a number of years, during which time we have seen Michel Platini unceremoniously toppled, with his ban from football confirmed this week.

Infantino has been a part of the system. It is very hard to bring about substantive reform and change when you are an insider.

With Platini gone, it seems both counter-intuitive and counter-productive for his no 2 to be on the brink of stepping up to take the reins of the world governing body.

Infantino has already had the chance to bring about changes in the system and greater stability from a position of real influence.

It is time for someone else to be given that opportunity if we are to see the heralding of a new era.

As well as enacting a clean break with the past, whoever wins needs to surround himself with the most adept and innovative people in order to create a thriving and healthy FIFA that can flourish for many years to come.

It is no good implementing a series of empty gestures under the veneer of change.

No, fresh blood is required to pump life into FIFA to save it from irrelevance.

Experts from inside the game and people with successful backgrounds who have excelled outside of football must be embraced and brought into the fold to provide their skills and experience.

These new perspectives and ideas will help FIFA move forward and regain the trust and confidence of a public who have lost faith in the organization over the turbulent events of the past.

However, at this current moment in time I feel hopeful, rather than despondent.

Everywhere I go in the world when travelling for business, the love people have for the global game reaffirms my belief in the power and potential of football as a positive social force.

One only had to witness the bewildering, once-in-a-generation talent of Lionel Messi the other day at the Emirates as he waltzed his way through the first leg of the Champions League game Arsenal to get a glimpse of the infinite beauty and joy that this game can bring.

This is football. Now we need a well-run organization, free from the baggage from the past and powered and shaped by the very best people out there, that the game can finally be proud of.