Fifa president Gianni Infantino has firmly rejected allegations that he had a relationship with a female Uefa employee during his time as the organisation's general secretary, after Uefa confirmed it had made a financial settlement to the woman in question.
The claims first surfaced in a Daily Telegraph report on Friday night, which stated that the employee received a six-figure sum following an alleged relationship with Infantino. Uefa has since acknowledged that a "departure payment" was made, alongside coverage of fees for an MBA course, though the governing body insisted the arrangement complied with the rules in place at the time.
Fifa moved swiftly to distance Infantino from any wrongdoing. "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," a Fifa spokesman told the Telegraph. The spokesman added that no complaint had ever been lodged by staff at either Uefa or Fifa regarding Infantino's conduct, stating there was never an incident involving him.
Uefa, for its part, confirmed the financial details without addressing the nature of the alleged relationship directly. "We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for a MBA course at a local business school," a Uefa spokesperson said. The organisation stressed that the payout reflected the standards applied to departing staff members at that time, noting that its policies have since been overhauled. "Such regulations have been tightened since 2016 and the current staff regulations – which apply to all Uefa employees at whatever level – reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation," the spokesperson added.
Infantino spent 16 years working at Uefa, rising to the position of general secretary in 2009, a role he held until his election as Fifa president in February 2016. The allegations surface at a particularly turbulent moment for the Fifa chief, who has spent the past fortnight fending off criticism over a separate and unrelated controversy.
That dispute centers on Infantino's proposal to bring in private investors to take stakes in a company that would oversee Fifa's flagship competitions, including both the men's and women's World Cups. The plan met fierce resistance, with Uefa and two other continental confederations rejecting the idea outright. Tensions escalated further when Uefa threatened a boycott of Fifa competitions involving its 55 member associations unless the proposal was abandoned.
Fifa's management board offered its backing to Infantino following talks held in Morocco on Wednesday, during which the president issued an apology for how the process had been handled. However, that gesture failed to placate Uefa, which dismissed the announcement as insufficient. A Uefa statement issued on Thursday made clear that Wednesday's developments "changes nothing" regarding its stance on the matter, signalling that the boycott threat remains firmly on the table.
The combination of the personal allegations and the ongoing governance dispute has placed significant scrutiny on Infantino's leadership, though he continues to reject any suggestion of misconduct as he navigates both controversies simultaneously.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.