FIFA President Gianni Infantino Faces Fresh Pressure Over Affair Claims

Switzerland (GNP): FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed pressure after an investigation reported that UEFA made a severance payment to a woman with whom Infantino allegedly had a relationship during his time as the organisation’s general secretary.

UEFA, where Infantino served as general secretary from 2009 to 2016, confirmed that a departure payment was made to the individual, which covered fees for her to complete an MBA course at a local business school. UEFA said the payment was in line with regulations at the time, though it noted those rules have since been tightened to reflect standards found in a modern, high-profile organisation.

A FIFA spokesman denied the allegations on Infantino’s behalf, stating that any insinuation of inappropriate conduct was defamatory and that no employee at UEFA or FIFA had ever raised a complaint regarding his behaviour. Infantino, who is married, joined UEFA in 2000 and became secretary general in 2009 before being appointed FIFA president in 2016.

The allegations add to mounting difficulties for Infantino, who is already fighting to save his presidency following the collapse of his plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenues to outside investors.

The proposal, which reportedly involved investors connected to the Trump family including Joshua Kushner, brother of the US president’s son-in-law, triggered a strong backlash from UEFA, which threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments in response. Infantino has since apologised for what he described as errors in the proposal but did not step down, instead rallying the backing of senior FIFA executives at an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco.

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Support for Infantino has since split along regional lines. The Confederation of African Football, the South American confederation Conmebol, and the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and runners-up Argentina have backed his continued leadership, while UEFA has maintained that a boycott of FIFA events may still proceed despite the investment plan being shelved. The first tournament that could be affected is the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, due to begin in Poland on September 5.

FIFA’s current turmoil follows a presidency that critics say has been marked by centralised decision-making and limited transparency since Infantino took office in 2016, succeeding Sepp Blatter after a corruption scandal that led to Blatter’s resignation the previous year.

Whether Infantino can retain sufficient support among FIFA’s 211 member associations ahead of a scheduled presidential election next March remains uncertain as the federation navigates both the fallout from the abandoned investment plan and the fresh allegations.