FIFA President Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA paid a six-figure sum to a woman he reportedly had an affair with during his time as UEFA Secretary General between 2009 and 2016.
By Imran Malik | Sports Desk | MediaBites.com.pk | Southera.com
The world’s most powerful football administrator is facing one of the most personally damaging controversies of his career — and the conflicting statements from his own spokesman and UEFA are making it significantly worse.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, 56, has strongly denied allegations reported by The Daily Telegraph that UEFA paid a six-figure departure package to a woman with whom he was reportedly linked while serving as UEFA Secretary General — a role he held from 2009 until his election as FIFA President in 2016. Infantino was married during his time at UEFA.
Infantino Denies. UEFA Confirms the Payment.
The core contradiction at the heart of this story is between two institutions that should be telling the same version of events — and are not.
Infantino’s spokesman was categorical. “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue,” the spokesman told the Telegraph. The spokesman added that no employee at UEFA or FIFA had ever raised a formal complaint regarding Infantino’s behaviour because “there never was an incident where he was involved.”
UEFA told a different story. The European governing body confirmed that a departure payment was made to the woman identified in the report. UEFA said the payment included funding for the individual’s MBA studies at a local business school and that it complied with the organisation’s regulations in place at the time. UEFA added that its rules have since been strengthened to reflect standards expected of a modern high-profile organisation.
UEFA did not confirm or deny the nature of the relationship alleged by the newspaper.
A Crisis Compounding a Crisis
The timing could not be worse for Infantino. He is already under significant pressure following his controversial proposal to sell stakes in World Cup-related commercial assets to private investors — a plan he subsequently abandoned after fierce opposition, particularly from European football.
He apologised for what he described as errors in connection with the investment proposals but remained in office after receiving support from senior football executives at a meeting in Morocco. Norway has called for his resignation. Several European teams have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.
South America’s Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football have backed Infantino, as have Mexico and Argentina’s football associations.
The allegations concerning the UEFA payment now add a personal dimension to what was already a serious institutional crisis — at precisely the moment when the World Cup demands a focused and credible FIFA leadership.
