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UEFA payment allegation
Gianni Infantino rejected claims that UEFA paid off his alleged “lover” during his time as general secretary, after The Telegraph reported that the woman received a six-figure severance and MBA-related fees.
“Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue.”
FIFA’s spokesman, quoted by The Telegraph, said, “Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue.”
UEFA, in a statement quoted by Sky Sports, confirmed it made a “departure payment” and “the payment of fees for an MBA course at a local business school,” saying the arrangement followed regulations at the time.
The dispute is tied to Infantino’s UEFA tenure from 2010 till 2016, and to his current FIFA role amid backlash over his abandoned plan to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
Denials and UEFA response
The Telegraph’s report said UEFA paid for the alleged lover’s MBA after she left, and it described UEFA as having “tightened” regulations to reflect standards of a “modern, high-profile organisation.”
FIFA’s spokesman told The Telegraph, “Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory.”
UEFA’s position, as quoted by Sky Sports, was that the payment was “in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time,” and that those rules have been tightened since 2016.
The controversy is also framed alongside Infantino’s FIFA troubles over his “ambitious but controversial project to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup,” which led to “calls for him to resign as president of football’s global governing body,” according to News18 | Asian.
Pressure on Infantino
As calls for Infantino’s resignation grow, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) backed him, with a letter to FIFA head Infantino praising “transparent governance, institutional stability and greater inclusivity.”
““On behalf of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and its Executive Committee, we express our support for the management carried out during the last 10 years”
The AFA letter said, “we express our support for the management carried out during the last 10 years,” linking its endorsement to “institutional strength based on a clear, stable and transparent governance model.”
News18 | Asian also reported that Infantino was “currently gathering support” after severe backlash over his World Cup stake plan, which triggered “calls for him to resign as president of football’s global governing body.”
In the same period of scrutiny, the FIFA spokesperson’s denial remained central to the dispute, with FIFA insisting that “No employee at UEFA and FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino's behaviour.”
