UEFA confirms payment to former employee amid denials of inappropriate conduct by Infantino
Allegations and Denials
UEFA has confirmed a “departure payment” was made to a former employee during the period when Gianni Infantino served as its general secretary. This confirmation comes amidst reports from a British newspaper alleging that inappropriate conduct was the reason for the six-figure payment. Infantino, who is now the head of FIFA, has strongly denied these allegations, stating they are “categorically untrue.”
The reports claimed that Infantino had a relationship with a junior employee between 2009 and 2016, during his tenure at UEFA. The employee was reportedly promoted to a more lucrative managerial role and received a payment upon leaving the organisation. Additionally, UEFA is said to have covered the costs for her MBA course. The individual was not named in the reports.
UEFA clarified that the payment was in line with regulations for departing staff at the time. The organisation also noted that these regulations have since been tightened, with current staff regulations reflecting those found in modern, high-profile organisations. FIFA has condemned what it describes as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the organisation and its president.
Pressure on FIFA and Infantino
The allegations have surfaced at a time when Infantino and FIFA are already facing significant pressure. This follows controversial plans to sell partial commercial and operational rights to the World Cup, which were leaked and subsequently scrapped. UEFA, which includes several powerful football nations, had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, and publicly expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino‘s leadership.
Despite the abandonment of the sell-off plans, UEFA has maintained its threat of a boycott, seeking assurances that similar proposals will not re-emerge. FIFPRO, the players’ union, has also stated that its confidence in FIFA‘s leadership has been “fundamentally broken.”
In response to the criticism, FIFA issued a statement asserting that it would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process.” The organisation stated that it welcomes legitimate scrutiny but views efforts to distort facts or amplify unsubstantiated allegations as attempts to undermine progress. FIFA also highlighted that its president was democratically elected and continues to serve with the mandate of its member associations.
Divisions and Support
Opposition to Infantino primarily stems from within Europe. However, other confederations have expressed support. CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, has indicated it will not back an extraordinary congress to vote on Infantino‘s future, preferring to follow the existing timeline for the presidential election scheduled for early next year. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has also unanimously backed Infantino.
The Mexican Football Federation has also publicly supported Infantino, aligning with CONMEBOL‘s stance against any attempt to remove him without a vote involving all 211 FIFA member countries. FIFA held a crisis meeting on Wednesday, where senior officials reportedly threw their support behind Infantino.
The president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, called for Infantino‘s resignation on Friday.
FIFA maintains that disagreement with change does not justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of its president or the institution he was elected to lead, as stated in a release on Saturday evening.
Source: cnn.com
