Gianni Infantino says he fixed FIFA corruption, but there’s no good reason to believe him

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has repeatedly stated that FIFA’s corruption crisis is over and that soccer’s governing body is moving in a new, ethical direction. It’s a little harder to trust him after some key members of the ethics committee were booted.

In a statement, German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and Swiss prosecutor Cornel Borbely said that their “impending removal at the FIFA Congress will greatly set back the work of the ethics commission and means the de facto end of FIFA’s reform efforts.” They added, “this will inevitably lead to a renewed loss of trust and further hurt the already tarnished image of FIFA.”

Eckert and Borbely also went on to call the decision “clearly politically motivated.”

Their claim is based on their pending cases. The pair claims to have hundreds of cases of alleged corruption still under investigation, some involving senior officials in soccer.

Of course, senior FIFA officials disagree with the idea that changes on the ethics committee had anything to do with politics or covering up wrongdoing.

“They’ve both done a very good job; they’ve done yeoman’s work in terms of what they’ve done, a lot of hard work,” said FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani. “I take my hat off to them but I think it’s time to give someone else an opportunity.”

Borbely and Eckert will be replaced by Greek judge Vassilios Skouris and Colombian prosecutor Maria Claudia Rojas. Regarding their appointments, U.S. Soccer president and FIFA executive committee member Sunil Gulati said that “the people that have been asked to step into these roles are very high quality.”

This might be true, but public trust in FIFA is near-zero and should remain that way for the foreseeable future. As far as most can tell, FIFA fires anyone who tries to mess with the program.

Dani Alves’ volley for Juventus against Monaco.

Here’s one thing still being investigated by FIFA: agent Mino Raiola’s involvement in Paul Pogba’s transfer. (The Busby Babe)

Inter Milan has fired manager Stefano Pioli. (Serpents of Madonnina)

Former Crewe, Manchester City and Stoke coach Barry Bennell has been charged with more than 40 child sexual assault offenses. (Guardian)

Marc Bartra is back in training after recovering from injuries suffered during the explosive attack on Dortmund’s team bus. (@BVB)

Atalanta has become the fourth team in Serie A to own their own stadium. (Football Italia)

Javi Martinez’s season is done thanks to a broken collarbone. (Bavarian Football Works)

Though we recommend not getting your hopes up until construction is underway, David Beckham’s Miami MLS group is reportedly close to a stadium deal. (ESPN FC)

Jacob Steinberg on Ajax’s revival under a new coach who believes in Johan Cruyff’s ideals. (Guardian)

Emdad Rahman on the 1984 France team that set the stage for Les Bleus to become a super power. (In Bed With Maradona)

Archie Rhind-Tutt on Paderborn’s steep decline and their fight to stay in business. (The Set Pieces)

Juventus easily dispatched of Monaco to make the Champions League final.

Liguilla starts on Wednesday! Here’s the basic what you need to know. (FMF State of Mind)

If you’d like to know quite a bit more than that, the fine folks at Kick can help.

Here’s a quick preview of the four semifinal ties. (FMF State of Mind)

Champions League: Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid (2:45 p.m.) — This is essentially over, but it’s a rivalry, so it could get ugly.

Premier League: Southampton vs. Arsenal (2:45 p.m.) — The Gunners absolutely need a win to have any hope of finishing in the top four.

MLS: Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC (7:30 p.m.) — Columbus is surprisingly pretty good. Toronto is unsurprisingly very good.

Liga MX: Two games (from 8:30 p.m.) — Both games are worth watching, but we highly recommend the early one between local rivals Tigres and Monterrey.