Kvaratskhelia and Madjo offer brief escape as FIFA turmoil clouds Salzburg showcase

According to The Guardian, European champions PSG gave Uefa a welcome chance to show off some of its crown jewels in Salzburg as the European football season got under way. Yet despite the on-pitch glamour, the fallout from Gianni Infantino’s collapsed Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme remained the main topic of conversation.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who knows about missing Fifa tournaments due to an accident of birth, delivered another reminder of his talent. With assured footwork and a rip-roaring finish, he found Marco Bizot’s top corner – the kind of moment that cuts through the sport’s off-field grubbiness.

Earlier, the Uefa hierarchy and guests had enjoyed their pre-match lunch inside Hangar 7, the Red Bull exhibition hall next to Salzburg airport. The menu featured Wagyu tenderloin and, for local flavour, curd cheese dumplings. But according to The Guardian, the main subject at the table was the bitter fallout from Infantino’s failed scheme, which will cast a shadow over football until a resolution is reached.

Kvaratskhelia and Madjo showed that the beautiful game can wash away Infantino’s stain. For one evening, at least, individual brilliance offered a reminder of why we are all really here.