FIFA defends Infantino against ‘concerted’ campaign amid governance crisis
Gianni Infantino denies affair allegations reported by The Daily Telegraph, while UEFA confirms a past departure payment complied with regulations at the time.
FIFA issued a formal statement on Saturday defending President Gianni Infantino against what it described as a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine his leadership. The defence was launched following accusations by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph that Infantino paid off a former lover during his tenure as general secretary of UEFA, allegations he has categorically denied.
In its response, FIFA warned that attempts to challenge the president’s authority must adhere to the governing body’s statutes and democratic procedures rather than relying on "allegation, insinuation or misinformation." The statement, posted on X, accused critics of using "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims" to weaken Infantino’s democratic mandate, asserting that disagreement with institutional change does not justify efforts to remove him from office.
The controversy coincides with a significant governance standoff following the collapse of Infantino’s proposal to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments. UEFA, alongside CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, rejected the plan, with UEFA threatening to boycott FIFA competitions until the proposal was scrapped. On Thursday, UEFA stated that the announcement of the departure payment "changes nothing" regarding its stance on the commercial rights issue.
UEFA confirmed that a "departure payment" was made to a female staffer but maintained that it was in line with regulations at the time. The confederation noted that while the payment complied with past rules, regulations for departing staff have been tightened since 2016 to reflect modern organisational standards. Infantino served at UEFA for 16 years before being elected FIFA president.
Infantino received backing from FIFA’s management board last Wednesday during a meeting in Morocco and subsequently apologised over the process surrounding the rejected commercial rights plan. Despite this support, the tension between FIFA and European confederations remains high, with the leadership crisis deepening as the organisation navigates both internal dissent and external scrutiny over its governance structures.
