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Club World Cup postponed, Infantino speaks on racism and Swiss investigation

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO HOLDING A NEWS CONFERENCE IN WHICH HE TALKS ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE 2022 WORLD CUP/ INVESTING IN WOMEN'S SOCCER / RACISM IN SOCCER / THE FACT HE IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR MEETING THE SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL

SHOWS:

DOHA, QATAR (FILE) (QATAR 2022 VNR - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, LOOKING AT VENUE FOR 2022 WORLD CUP IN QATAR

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"First of all the Club World Cup we will have to postpone the current one, the one of this year, we will have to postpone it because simply the continental competitions will not be finished by December. So, we will have to see if we can play it, when we can play it, but while it is an important competition, there are more important things in life, especially now, than the FIFA Club World Cup. We must realise that if there is a possibility to play it, we will play it, if there is no possibility than we will find another way. We want to do everything to be able to play it."

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3. WHITE FLASH

4. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"2022 will be a safe World Cup."

5. WHITE FLASH

6. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"Because if by then if we still have this discussions then I think all of us will have some serious problems and the World Cup is maybe not the biggest of the problems."

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (JULY 8, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. VARIOUS OF VICTORIOUS U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM RETURNING WITH 2019 WORLD CUP TROPHY

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

8. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"We don't have to waste the time between now and 2023 so we need to invest. We are putting one billion at disposal for some projects which we are elaborating now. Of course part of the COVID relief fund is going specifically to women's football because otherwise you focus only on the top men's competition and you let it go. I am not speaking about the big leagues of course big countries but the rest of the world, that is why it is important to inject money there."

LISBON, PORTUGAL (AUGUST 2020) (UEFA - MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY UEFA, NO RESALES, NO COMMERCIAL USE)

9. VARIOUS OF PSG PLAYER NEYMAR

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

10. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"The answer to your question, whether we are doing enough on racism is clearly no. We are not doing enough on racism. We try, we try our best in what we do. I think FIFA is a good example by the definition because we cover the whole world, because we are a diverse organisation as well in terms of the administration of FIFA because we try to implement our guidelines in our competitions. But if racism is still present and this year, this virus of racism has come out again, somehow. It was a little bit, maybe put on the side, but it has come out again . We need to fight more. We need to fight harder. The first element is to speak about it, it's not to hide it. It is to expose it. It is to prepare for it. To educate because a lot has to do with the ignorance of people and then to sanction. But when we sanction, it is already too late. That is the problem. We need to act before it becomes at that level. So we are there again working on some further guidelines on some further guidelines which we will announce very soon."

PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

11. INFANTINO MEETING DELEGATES AT LAST FIFA CONGRESS

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 18, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. SOUNDBITE (English) FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, SAYING:

"I am relaxed about the proceedings, honestly, because I met the highest prosecutor of Switzerland. I mean if you compare this situation with what was happening in FIFA in the past, where people were prosecuted for millions evaporating or disappearing here and there and compare with the current investigation, which is about meeting the highest prosecutor of Switzerland, I mean there is -- then I think this shows already the absurdity of the situation. Obviously, it affects me in as far as it affects FIFA as well because when you put FIFA and when you put investigations you immediately mix up everything. But I think it is important, it is important for you and all the media and for all the public to make a clear difference on what this is all about. After this announcement I heard no other news. So I don't know anything more than that. I know that I met the prosecutor, I know I met the prosecutor, the highest prosecutor in Switzerland to offer him all possible help and to explain to him what we were doing to clean up FIFA."

ZURICH SWITZERLAND (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

13. VARIOUS OF FIFA FLAGS

STORY: FIFA's showpiece club competition, the Club World Cup, will not take place in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, FIFA confirmed on Friday (September 18).

Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president, said he hoped that it could be rescheduled - it was due to take place in Doha in December and feature the winners of each of the continental club competitions - but there were "more important things in life," according to Infantino.

The 2020 competition would have again showcased Qatar, the hosts of the 2022 World Cup, after their hosting of last year's competition, won by Liverpool.

Speaking in Zurich following FIFA's annual congress- which for the first time was conducted virtually - the Swiss also said FIFA would be investing one billion U.S. dollars in women's soccer following the success of the 2019 World Cup, which was won by the United States, and told Reuters Television the sport's governing body must do more to tackle racism.

(Production: Iain Axon)