Fifa has sharply criticized what it describes as ongoing attempts to undermine both the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino. This reaction follows a report from the Daily Telegraph, which claimed that Infantino allegedly arranged a severance payment for an individual with whom he reportedly had an affair during his time as Uefa’s general secretary.
A Fifa spokesperson relayed to the Telegraph that Infantino “strongly denies” these allegations, dismissing them as “categorically untrue.”
Fifa has further condemned the “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims,” urging that “speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact.” Infantino has been increasingly pressured by Uefa and other European football associations due to his controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which was ultimately abandoned. The proposal involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% of it being sold to a private investment firm.
Uefa has expressed its loss of confidence in Infantino, and on Friday, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, called for his resignation. European football’s governing body continues to consider boycotting Fifa events, as assurances have yet to be received that the FFE plan will not be revived.
Fifa responded by emphasizing that the president was democratically elected by its Member Associations and continues to act under their mandate.
The organization pointed out that there appears to be a deliberate effort by certain parties to undermine both Fifa and its president, warning against those lacking support from member associations who attempt to use allegations and misinformation to achieve what they cannot through established democratic processes within Fifa.
Much of the opposition to Infantino originates from Europe. However, the Mexican Football Federation has voiced support for Infantino, breaking ranks with Concacaf. Both Conmebol and the Mexican Federation insist that any attempt to remove Infantino should involve a vote across all 211 Fifa member countries. Infantino also enjoys unanimous backing from the 54 nations of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Infantino summoned Fifa’s management board to a meeting in Rabat, Morocco. Fifa issued an apology for the FFE proposal on behalf of Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, while also stating it would “no longer tolerate attacks on its integrity, governance, and due process.” The organization remains defensive about the ongoing criticism, asserting that while change may challenge existing interests, it does not justify efforts to undermine Fifa’s democratic mandate or the leadership elected by its members.
Fifa welcomes legitimate scrutiny but insists that such scrutiny should not be used to misrepresent facts or amplify unsubstantiated allegations. Challenges will be pursued directly and vigorously where reporting is found inaccurate or misleading.
BBC
