Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged lover
Fifa president faces fresh pressure after investigative reports allege a severance payment was made during his time at Uefa.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly denies allegations regarding a Uefa severance payment.
- Uefa confirmed a payment was made to cover MBA course fees for the individual.
- The controversy compounds pressure on Infantino following aborted World Cup investment plans.
Global football leadership has been thrown into turmoil once again as Fifa president Gianni Infantino faces severe scrutiny following an investigation by the Daily Telegraph, which claims an alleged lover received a severance payout from Uefa during his tenure as general secretary.
According to the reports, Uefa issued a six-figure sum to the woman involved, with the governing body subsequently confirming that part of the funds covered tuition fees for her to complete an MBA course at a local business school.
This latest revelation arrives at a particularly vulnerable moment for the Fifa chief, who has already been battling for his political survival following controversial proposals to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors—a plan that was ultimately aborted after heavy backlash.
A spokesman for the 56-year-old Fifa president firmly pushed back against the reports, stating that the accusations are completely untrue and that any insinuation of rule violations or improper conduct is entirely defamatory.
"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."
Fifa spokesman
Uefa, where Infantino served as general secretary from 2009 to 2016, maintained that all financial transactions complied strictly with the regulations active at the time, noting that those internal rules have since been tightened to reflect modern organizational standards.
Source: BBC Sport
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