IN a challenge to the integrity of Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s compliance chairman resigned in protest Saturday over what he sees as a power grab by the new president.

    Domenico Scala called his resignation a “wake-up call” for those working to reform soccer’s scandal-battered ruling body.

    Scala’s walkout — on the issue of taking hiring and firing power over himself and independent panels that monitor FIFA officials and money — comes amid claims of tension between the two men over the presidential salary.

    It marks a major test for Infantino’s presidency since he was elected to succeed Sepp Blatter in February promising more openness and modern leadership.

    Scala has overseen FIFA’s billion-dollar annual spending since 2012, and could previously be removed only by a vote of the now-211 member federations at their annual meeting.

    Tensions between the two Swiss-Italian men were exposed Friday at FIFA’s congress in Mexico City. Members voted in new powers to Infantino’s ruling council to fire Scala and ethics committee leaders who investigate corruption claims.

    Those independent officials have been seen as a key check on FIFA since their appointments were key goals of a Blatter-led round of anti-corruption reforms in 2012.

    Publishing the presidential salary was a central pledge of the latest reform round agreed in February, in which Infantino and Scala were central players.

    In March, Blatter’s base salary of 2,964,379 million Swiss francs (US$3 million) in 2015 was disclosed by FIFA.

    It was later disclosed that the incoming president’s salary was intended to be less, and that the new secretary general would be the highest paid employee.

    That post was filled Friday when Infantino said long-time United Nations official Fatma Samoura of Senegal would arrive in Zurich next month. She will be the first woman, first non-European and first non-white secretary general in FIFA’s 112-year history.

    (SD-Agencies)