FIFA condemns ‘concerted’ campaign to undermine Infantino amid governance row
Tensions escalate between FIFA and European confederations over World Cup profit plans and past administrative decisions.
FIFA has issued a formal statement defending its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it describes as a concerted and ongoing effort to undermine his leadership. The defence was released on Saturday, following a report by The Daily Telegraph regarding an exit package paid by UEFA to a former female staffer during Infantino’s tenure as general secretary.
UEFA confirmed that a departure payment was made to the employee and stated it was in line with regulations at the time. Infantino served at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president. In its statement, FIFA accused critics of using unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims to weaken Infantino’s authority and remove him from office without due process.
The global governing body asserted that disagreement with Infantino’s reforms does not justify undermining his democratic mandate. It argued that those lacking the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve their goals through allegation, insinuation or misinformation, rather than established democratic processes.
This political friction occurs amidst broader tensions regarding Infantino’s plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity. The proposal was rejected by UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. While Infantino received backing from FIFA’s management board following a meeting in Morocco last Wednesday, he apologised over the process.
UEFA has maintained its threat to have its 55 member countries boycott FIFA competitions until the profit-selling plan is scrapped. On Thursday, the European body stated that the announcement changes nothing. Separately, attorneys-general from New York and New Jersey have issued a subpoena to FIFA regarding dynamic pricing and seat allocation for the 2026 World Cup.
