Fifa has issued a strong rebuke against what it characterizes as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to “undermine” the governing body and its president, Gianni Infantino. The organization’s latest statement, released late on Saturday evening, maintains a defensive posture regarding the intense criticism it has faced in recent weeks.
This official response follows a report published by the Daily Telegraph, which alleged that an individual described as Infantino’s lover received a severance payment from Uefa during his time as its general secretary. A Fifa spokesperson confirmed to the Telegraph that Infantino “strongly denies” these allegations, labeling the claims as “categorically untrue.”
Fifa further criticized what it termed “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims,” emphasizing that “speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact.” The organization signaled that it would no longer tolerate what it perceives as attacks on its integrity, good governance, and established due process.
The current friction stems largely from the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which has drawn significant ire from European football associations. The FFE plan would have involved the creation of a new entity to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% of the stake sold to a private investment firm.
In response to the backlash, Fifa issued a statement on behalf of Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom apologizing for the FFE proposal. Despite this apology, the governing body remains firm in its stance, stating that “change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of Fifa’s president.”
European opposition remains significant, with Uefa expressing a loss of confidence in Infantino. On Friday, Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness publicly called for the Swiss-Italian leader to resign. European football’s governing body has also indicated that its threat to boycott Fifa events remains active, noting that it has not received sufficient assurances that the FFE plan will not be revived.
Fifa countered this pressure by highlighting its democratic foundations. “The Fifa president was democratically elected by Fifa’s Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate,” the statement noted. The organization warned that those lacking the support of member associations should not attempt to achieve their goals through “allegation, insinuation or misinformation” rather than established democratic processes.
While opposition is concentrated in Europe, Infantino retains substantial support elsewhere. The 54 nations of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) have unanimously backed him, and the Mexican Football Federation has broken from its regional body, Concacaf, to offer its support. Furthermore, South America’s governing body, Conmebol, stated it would reject any attempt to remove Infantino without a vote involving all 211 member countries.
Infantino recently convened the Fifa management board in Rabat, Morocco, to address these ongoing challenges. The organization concluded its Saturday statement by asserting that while it welcomes legitimate scrutiny, it will not accept the distortion of facts. “Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading, Fifa will challenge it directly and vigorously,” the statement concluded.
FFE would have meant a new company being created to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% sold off to a private investment company.
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