Fifa has issued a strong criticism against what it describes as a “concerted and ongoing effort” aimed at undermining the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino. This statement follows reports concerning Infantino’s conduct during his tenure as general secretary of the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).
Reports from a British newspaper alleged that a severance payment was made to an individual who was purportedly Infantino’s lover while he was Uefa’s general secretary. Fifa has stated that Infantino “strongly denies” these allegations, calling them “categorically untrue.” Uefa confirmed a “departure payment” was made to the individual, alongside funding for an MBA course, noting that the payment adhered to regulations in place at the time, although these regulations have since been tightened.
Pressure from European Football Bodies
Infantino has faced increasing pressure, particularly from Uefa and various European football associations, regarding his proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). The FFE plan involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with a portion to be sold to a private investment firm. Uefa has publicly expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), called for Infantino’s resignation. Uefa has also maintained its threat to boycott Fifa events, including the World Cup, citing a lack of assurances that the FFE plan will not be revived. Such a boycott could significantly impact the World Cup’s value, as several top-ranked men’s and women’s teams from Europe would not participate.
Fifa’s statement on Saturday underscored that its president was “democratically elected by Fifa’s Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate.” The organisation further asserted that those without the support of Fifa’s member associations should not attempt to achieve their goals through “allegation, insinuation or misinformation” instead of through established democratic processes.
Global Support and Fifa’s Response
While opposition to Infantino largely stems from Europe, he has received support from other confederations. The Mexican Football Federation, breaking ranks with its regional governing body Concacaf, voiced its support for Infantino. This aligns with a statement from Conmebol, South America’s governing body, which indicated it would reject any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 Fifa member countries.
Additionally, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), comprising 54 nations, has unanimously backed Infantino. FIFPRO, the players’ union, has stated that its confidence in Fifa’s leadership has been “fundamentally broken.”
Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom issued a statement apologising for the FFE proposal. However, the statement also declared that Fifa would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process.”
Fifa’s defensive stance continued in a statement released late on Saturday evening, which acknowledged that “change inevitably challenges established interests.” The organisation stated that disagreement with change does not justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of its president or the institution he leads. Fifa affirmed its welcome for legitimate scrutiny but cautioned against distorting facts, amplifying unsubstantiated allegations, or manufacturing distractions designed to undermine progress, vowing to challenge inaccurate or misleading reporting directly and vigorously.
Uefa’s confirmation of the departure payment to the former employee was made to a news organisation.
Source: bbc.com