Fifa president Gianni Infantino has firmly rejected claims that he was involved in an extramarital affair with a woman who received a substantial severance payment from Uefa during his tenure as the organisation's general secretary, a role he held between 2009 and 2016.
The allegations stem from an investigation published by the Daily Telegraph, which reported that Uefa paid a six-figure sum to a woman said to have had a relationship with Infantino, who is married. According to the report, the payment was intended to cover departure-related costs linked to her exit from the organisation.
A spokesperson for Infantino dismissed the claims outright, insisting there was no truth to the story. "Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory," the spokesperson told the Telegraph. The statement went further, asserting that no formal complaint about Infantino's conduct had ever been lodged during his time at either Uefa or Fifa. "No employee at Uefa and Fifa has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino's behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved," the spokesperson added.
Despite the denial, Uefa itself confirmed that a payment had indeed been made to the woman named in the reports. In a statement, European football's governing body acknowledged the transaction but offered a different explanation for its purpose, saying the funds were used to cover tuition fees for the woman to pursue an MBA at a business school in the local area. Uefa maintained that the payment complied fully with the rules and procedures in place at the time it was made.
However, the organisation also noted that its internal governance standards have since been overhauled and strengthened, stating that current regulations now better reflect practices expected of a