FIFA has hit back at what it calls a 'concerted and ongoing effort' to undermine its president, Gianni Infantino, following allegations that UEFA paid off his former lover. The world governing body insists the claims are 'unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims'.
Infantino, 56, who worked for UEFA for 16 years before becoming FIFA president in 2016, has strongly denied the allegation. The controversy comes after he apologised for his failed World Cup sell-off plan, which was scrapped after details leaked and UEFA and CONCACAF threatened to boycott the tournament.
LaLiga chief's criticism
Javier Tebas, president of Spain's LaLiga, was blunt in his assessment: 'For me Gianni Infantino's time has long since passed. I'm not saying this because of recent events. I have noticed this style of management for a long time though everyone else seems to be discovering it only now.'
Tebas added: 'Gianni Infantino is not someone who contributes to the growth of football. On the contrary his projects are destroying the very essence of the sport - the national leagues. Football is not limited to the elite. For me the Infantino era is over. What remains to be seen is when that will take effect and how the succession will unfold. I hope it is not just a matter of swapping out some people for others, but of a genuine overhaul.'
FIFA's response
A FIFA spokesman said: 'The FIFA President was democratically elected by FIFA's Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate. It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President.'
The spokesman added: '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.'
FIFA said it welcomes legitimate scrutiny but will challenge inaccurate or misleading reporting 'directly and vigorously'. The association stressed its responsibility is to its 211 Member Associations and to football around the world.
Background of the controversy
Infantino's plan to launch a FIFA spin-off company to run tournaments, including the World Cup, involved selling 20% to private investors, including one of US President Donald Trump's in-laws. The Swiss lawyer planned to run the sister company himself on a £22m-a-year salary.
Last week, Infantino apologised to FIFA staff over the deal in a bid to stay in office. Over the weekend, he denied claims that UEFA had paid a 'six figure sum' to his alleged lover before he got the FIFA job.
UEFA, which is threatening to boycott the World Cup unless Infantino steps down, said it gave the woman a 'departure payment' and paid for her Master of Business Administration degree after she left. Pay-off rules had since been tightened, the football body said.
Matters reportedly came to a head when UEFA's then-president Michel Platini confronted Infantino over the allegations, and the woman - who had been promoted from admin worker to manager - left. A FIFA spokesman said Infantino, a married dad-of-four, 'strongly denies these allegations and they are categorically untrue'.
'Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory,' they said. In response to claims that senior UEFA figures had concerns over Infantino's conduct, the FIFA spokesman said 'no employee' at either organisation had 'ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino's behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved'.
'All company actions related to employees, including any departure and severance packages, have always been approved by the appropriate directors in accordance with all applicable regulations,' the spokesman added.
