Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged lover amid Fifa crisis

Gianni Infantino has denied claims that Uefa made a payment to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair while he was the organisation’s general secretary, as pressure mounts on the Fifa president over a separate row concerning World Cup finances.

According to a Daily Telegraph investigation reported on by multiple outlets, Uefa confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to a female employee who had allegedly been in a relationship with Infantino during his time as general secretary between 2009 and 2016. Uefa said the sum, reported to be six figures, also covered fees for the woman to complete an MBA at a local business school.

The woman is said to have been promoted to a management position during the alleged relationship and reportedly left Uefa after Infantino was challenged over the matter by Michel Platini, who was Uefa president at the time.

Fifa hits back at “defamatory” claims

A Fifa spokesman told the Telegraph that Infantino “strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue”, adding that “any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory”. The spokesman further insisted that no employee at either Uefa or Fifa has ever raised a complaint about Infantino’s conduct.

Uefa, for its part, did not deny that the payment was made but stressed it had been in keeping with the rules governing departing staff at the time. In a statement, the governing body said those regulations “have since been tightened” and that current staff rules “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation”.

Infantino, who is 56 and has been married to his wife for 15 years, joined Uefa in 2000 and rose to become general secretary in 2009, a post he held until his appointment as Fifa president in 2016.

Fresh scrutiny at a fraught time

The allegations land at a particularly sensitive moment for Infantino, who is already fighting to keep his job over a since-abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. That proposal triggered a furious backlash from European football, with Uefa threatening a boycott of Fifa competitions and the FA among the national associations to withdraw its backing for the Fifa president.

Infantino has apologised for what he called “errors” in handling the investment plan, but he survived a crisis meeting with senior football executives in Morocco earlier this week after receiving support from key figures, including Mexico’s federation and the Conmebol president. Norway’s football association has been among those publicly calling for his resignation.

Fifa and Infantino have been approached for further comment on the Telegraph’s findings. With his presidency already under unprecedented pressure from within the game’s power structures, the fresh claims over his conduct at Uefa are likely to intensify scrutiny of his leadership in the weeks ahead.

Read more: Infantino summons crisis talks in Morocco as Fifa revolt deepens

Sources

• BBC Sport
• The Mirror

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.