Fifa has issued a strong rebuke against what it describes as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to destabilise the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino. This statement follows increasing pressure on Infantino, particularly from within Uefa and various European football associations.
The organisation’s defence comes after a report alleging that Infantino’s purported lover received a severance payment from Uefa. This payment was reportedly made after an alleged affair while Infantino served as Uefa‘s general secretary. A spokesperson for Fifa has stated that Infantino “strongly denies” these allegations, calling them “categorically untrue.”
Allegations and Responses
The report, which surfaced on Friday night, claimed a woman received a six-figure sum following an alleged relationship with Infantino. Uefa confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to a female employee, along with covering fees for an MBA course. Uefa stated that this payment was “in line” with regulations at the time.
In response to these claims, Fifa has criticised “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims,” emphasising that “speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact.” The organisation further stated that “any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory.”
Fifa has reiterated that its president was democratically elected by its member associations and continues to operate with their mandate. The organisation suggests that those who lack the support of Fifa‘s member associations should not attempt to achieve their goals through “allegation, insinuation or misinformation” when they cannot do so via established democratic processes.
Infantino has faced growing opposition, particularly concerning his proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). This plan would have involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with a portion of 21% to be sold to a private investment firm. Uefa has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, and Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness called for his resignation on Friday.
Divisions and Support
Uefa‘s threat to boycott Fifa events remains active, citing a lack of assurances that the FFE plan will not be revived. The European confederation confirmed on Thursday that the withdrawal of the scheme “changes nothing” regarding their stance.
Despite the opposition from some European bodies, Infantino maintains significant support from other regions. The Mexican Football Federation has publicly supported Infantino, breaking ranks with its regional governing body, Concacaf. This support echoes a statement from Conmebol, South America’s governing body, which would reject any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 Fifa member countries.
Additionally, the 54 nations of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) have unanimously backed Infantino. This broad international support highlights the divisions within the global football community regarding the leadership of Fifa.
Infantino previously called a meeting of the Fifa management board in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday. Following this, Fifa issued a statement on behalf of Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, apologising for the FFE proposal. However, the statement also asserted that Fifa would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process.”
The organisation’s statement on Saturday evening further defended its position, noting that “change inevitably challenges established interests.” It argued that disagreement with such changes does not justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of Fifa‘s president or the institution he was elected to lead. Fifa stated it welcomes legitimate scrutiny but views it as distinct from distorting facts, amplifying unsubstantiated allegations, or manufacturing distractions aimed at hindering progress. The organisation affirmed its commitment to challenging inaccurate or misleading reporting directly and vigorously.
Fifa has also stated that it will not accept any challenge to Infantino’s position before the election scheduled for next March.
Source: bbc.com