politics

Fifa president Gianni Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged ‘lover’

Infantino was Uefa general secretary from 2009 to 2016

Fifa president Gianni Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged ‘lover’

TL;DR

  • Uefa confirmed a "departure payment" was made to a female employee.
  • The employee is alleged to have had a relationship with Gianni Infantino while he was Uefa's general secretary.
  • Fifa has strongly denied the allegations, calling them "categorically untrue" and "defamatory".
  • A Fifa spokesman stated no employee has ever raised a complaint against Infantino's behavior.
  • The payment was made along with fees for an MBA course, in line with Uefa regulations at the time, though these have since been tightened.
  • The report surfaces as Infantino faces criticism for his plan to seek private investment for a company to run Fifa competitions.
  • Uefa has threatened a boycott of Fifa competitions until Infantino's plan is scrapped.