Fifa Criticizes 'Concerted Effort' to Undermine President Infantino Amid Reports

FIFA has issued a strong condemnation of what it terms a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino. This statement comes in response to reports, including one from the Daily Telegraph, alleging that Infantino's former lover received a severance payment from UEFA after an affair during his tenure as UEFA's general secretary.

FIFA dismissed the claims as "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims," urging that "speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact." Infantino has faced increasing pressure, particularly from UEFA and European football associations, over his now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. This plan involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with a 21% stake to be sold to a private investment firm.

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It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine Fifa and its president.

UEFA has publicly stated it has lost confidence in Infantino, and the president of the Norwegian Football Federation has called for his resignation. European football's governing body also maintains its threat to boycott FIFA events, citing unmet conditions. FIFA, however, asserted that its president "was democratically elected by Fifa's Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate."

FIFA suggested that opposition largely stems from Europe, noting that the Mexican Football Federation has broken ranks with its regional body, Concacaf, to support Infantino. Similarly, South America's governing body, CONMEBOL, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), representing 54 nations, have expressed their unified backing for Infantino, rejecting any attempts to remove him without a vote of all 211 FIFA member countries.

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Those who do not have the support of Fifa's member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through Fifa's established democratic processes.