Fifa criticises campaign to undermine president Gianni Infantino
Fifa has issued a strong statement criticising what it describes as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino. This follows reports concerning Infantino and a severance payment made by Uefa.
The statement comes after a report alleged that Infantino’s supposed lover received a severance payment from Uefa after an alleged affair during his time as its general secretary. Fifa has stated that Infantino “strongly denies” these allegations, calling them “categorically untrue.” The governing body further criticised “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims,” asserting that “speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact.”
Pressure has been mounting on Infantino, particularly from Uefa and various European football associations, regarding his proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). This plan would have involved the creation of a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% of it being sold to a private investment company.
Opposition to Infantino’s Leadership
Uefa has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, and Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness called for his resignation. The European football governing body maintains its threat to boycott Fifa events, stating that assurances regarding the FFE plan not being revived have not been received.
Fifa, however, affirmed that its president was democratically elected by its member associations and continues to serve with their mandate. The organisation suggested 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.
Opposition to Infantino’s leadership primarily stems from within Europe. In contrast, the Mexican Football Federation has publicly supported Infantino, breaking ranks with its regional governing body, Concacaf. This stance aligns with that of Conmebol, South America’s governing body, both of 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.
Fifa’s Defence and Future Stance
Infantino convened a meeting with members of the Fifa management board in Rabat, Morocco. Following this, Fifa released a statement on behalf of Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, apologising for the FFE proposal. The statement also indicated that Fifa would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process.”
A later statement reiterated Fifa’s defensive stance against the criticism it has faced. It highlighted that “change inevitably challenges established interests,” but argued that disagreement with such change does not justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of Fifa’s president or the institution he leads. Fifa emphasised its welcome for legitimate scrutiny but cautioned against distorting facts, amplifying unsubstantiated allegations, or manufacturing distractions designed to hinder progress.
The organisation stated its intention to challenge any inaccurate or misleading reporting directly and vigorously. Fifa also stressed its responsibility to its 211 member associations and global football, asserting that it would not be diverted from strengthening the organisation and continuing its work to make football truly global. Fifa has also stated that it will not accept any challenge to Infantino’s position before the election next March.
Uefa’s threat of its 55 member countries boycotting Fifa competitions remains in place, with the European confederation stating that the withdrawal of the FFE scheme “changes nothing.”
Source: bbc.com
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
