DistantNews
Support us
Infantino Faces New Allegations: UEFA Reportedly Paid Six-Figure Sum to Alleged 'Lover'
🇳🇴 Norway /Crime & Justice

Infantino Faces New Allegations: UEFA Reportedly Paid Six-Figure Sum to Alleged 'Lover'

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Unnamed sources Under investigation
  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces allegations of UEFA paying a six-figure sum to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair while he was UEFA's general secretary.
  • The woman reportedly received a promotion and a significant salary increase, with claims of a large severance package.
  • Infantino denies all allegations, calling them "categorically untrue," while UEFA confirmed a severance package and educational expenses were paid in line with regulations at the time.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing serious allegations that the European football governing body, UEFA, paid a six-figure sum to a woman with whom he allegedly had a relationship during his tenure as general secretary. The British newspaper The Telegraph reported these claims, citing anonymous UEFA sources.

According to the report, the woman, who was initially employed as a secretary, was allegedly promoted to a leadership position during the purported affair. These sources claim she received a 30% pay raise, reaching approximately 160,000 Swiss francs (over 1.8 million Norwegian kroner) annually. The Telegraph further alleges that Infantino arranged for the woman to receive a substantial severance payment upon her departure.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino categorically denies these allegations and they are categorically untrue. Any suggestion of inappropriate behavior or breach of statutes or regulations is defamatory.

— FIFA SpokespersonResponding to The Telegraph's report on allegations of a relationship and payments during Infantino's time at UEFA.

Infantino has vehemently denied these accusations through a FIFA spokesperson, stating they are "categorically untrue" and "defamatory." The spokesperson added that no employee complaints regarding Infantino's conduct were ever filed. UEFA confirmed that a severance package was paid to the woman, along with coverage for an MBA degree, stating that these payments were "in line with the regulations in force at the time," though acknowledging that rules have since been tightened.

The allegations surface as Infantino faces other pressures, including criticism over scrapped plans to sell World Cup ownership stakes to private investors. Norway has already called for his resignation. The Telegraph's report also includes claims from sources suggesting that former UEFA President Michel Platini confronted Infantino about the relationship, reportedly giving him an ultimatum, after which the woman left UEFA.

Platini challenged Gianni and said something like 'her or you?', and Gianni said 'she disappears', and she disappeared.

— Anonymous UEFA sourceDescribing an alleged confrontation between Michel Platini and Gianni Infantino regarding the relationship.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog