Gianni Infantino (56)'s travel plans were blocked by local police.
U.S. sports network ESPN reported on the 30th (Korea time) that the Vancouver police in Canada declined a request from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for police escort.
The request aimed to support Infantino's movements during the FIFA meetings held in Vancouver.
Vancouver police clarified the standards. A senior police official said, "Official vehicle escorts that control traffic are provided only to heads of state."
He added, "FIFA personnel do not meet the criteria for internationally protected persons," and explained that escorts involving road closures or ignoring traffic signals cannot be permitted.
FIFA's position was different. A FIFA spokesperson rebutted the same day, "We did not request a specific level of police escort for the president."
He added, "The president was also not aware of the related request." The issue, he said, arose in the course of the local organizing committee communicating with authorities on behalf of overall participant support.
This week Vancouver is hosting major meetings of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. In this city, one of the North and Central American World Cup host cities, a FIFA congress is also scheduled to take place.
During the meetings FIFA is dealing with several issues simultaneously. Major agenda items discussed included adjusting the accumulative caution rules for the World Cup, increasing prize money for participating countries, and allowing the return of the Afghanistan women's national team, which had been excluded from the international stage.
The events are ongoing. However, differences in positions emerged even over a single mode of movement.
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