Fifa has issued a sharply worded statement defending president Gianni Infantino, accusing unnamed parties of trying to destabilize his leadership as calls for his resignation intensify.
The controversy stems from a now-abandoned proposal that would have seen Fifa sell off stakes in the World Cup and other competitions run by the governing body. The plan triggered a fierce backlash, with Uefa threatening a boycott and England's Football Association formally pulling its backing for Infantino, even though the sell-off scheme was ultimately shelved.
Despite dropping the proposal, Infantino has not escaped scrutiny. He has also had to publicly deny a report from The Telegraph alleging that Uefa made a six-figure payment to a former lover of his during his tenure as the organization's general secretary, a position he held for seven years before taking charge of Fifa in February 2016, succeeding Sepp Blatter.
With Infantino set to stand for re-election in March, Fifa's leadership has rallied behind him. The organization's management board reaffirmed its support during a meeting held in Morocco on Wednesday, while South America's Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football have also publicly backed his continued presidency.
In its statement, a Fifa spokesperson framed the criticism against Infantino as an attack on the institution itself, warning that any attempt to interfere with the presidential election process outside of Fifa's official statutes would not be accepted.
"Echoing the recent statements of Conmebol and Caf, as well as discussions with Fifa Member Associations and Confederations from around the world, Fifa will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election of the Fifa President that is inconsistent with Fifa's Statutes, democratic procedures and established governance framework," the spokesperson said. "The Fifa President was democratically elected by Fifa's Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate."
The statement went further, suggesting that opponents lacking sufficient backing among member federations were resorting to unfounded claims rather than working through Fifa's formal democratic channels. "It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine Fifa and its President. 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," the organization said, adding that recent media coverage contained "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims."
Fifa also sought to portray Infantino's record in a positive light, pointing to his three decades in football administration and describing his tenure as one focused on expanding opportunity within the global game. "Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of Fifa's President or the institution he was elected to lead," the statement continued.
While insisting it remains open to fair scrutiny, Fifa drew a line at what it called attempts to distort facts. "Fifa welcomes legitimate scrutiny. But scrutiny is not a licence to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations or manufacture distractions designed to undermine progress. Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading, Fifa will challenge it directly and vigorously," the spokesperson added, stressing the body's commitment to its 211 member associations and its determination to press ahead with its global agenda.
Despite Fifa's forceful pushback, tensions with European football's governing body remain unresolved. Uefa has confirmed that its boycott threat still stands, even though the original stake-sale proposal that sparked the dispute has been withdrawn.
Based on reporting from The Independent.