FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny over his time at UEFA. On Friday, August 7, Europeโs governing body confirmed that a departure payment was made to a woman who was alleged to have had a relationship with the current FIFA president. The payment was described as a six-figure sum.ย
The report further adds that the woman had worked at UEFA while Infantino was the organisationโs general secretary, a position he held from 2009 until 2016. In the meantime, Infantino, who is married, has rejected the allegations. A spokesman for the FIFA president told the Daily Telegraph that he denies any suggestion of improper conduct.
โFIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory,” a FIFA spokesman said.
The report has not alleged that Infantino was formally accused of misconduct by an employee. His spokesman also rejected the suggestion that any such incident had taken place.
โNo employee at UEFA and FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino’s behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved,โ it was added.
UEFA has acknowledged that money was paid to the woman, but said the payment was connected to her education. According to the organisation, it covered costs associated with completing an MBA at a local business school.
UEFA further said the arrangement complied with the rules governing payments at the time. It added that its regulations have since been strengthened, describing the updated standards as reflecting those expected of a modern, high-profile organisation.
Difficult time for Infantino
Meanwhile, the allegations emerge at a difficult moment for Infantino, who is already under pressure over plans to bring private investment into the World Cup. Those proposals were abandoned after controversy, with Infantino later apologising for what he described as “errors”.
Despite calls for him to resign, Infantino retained the backing of senior executives at a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday. However, the dispute over the World Cup proposals has also created tension among national associations. European teams have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while Conmebol, CAF, Mexicoโs football association and Argentinaโs federation have backed Infantino.
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