UEFA is now weighing whether to open a formal investigation into Gianni Infantino’s entire 16 years at the organization, after the Daily Telegraph reported that a former junior staff member had been paid a six-figure sum and had her business-school fees covered when she left.
The payment was confirmed by UEFA on 8 August, though the governing body denied any impropriety.
“The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time,” UEFA said, adding that it had since “tightened” its rules to reflect those “found in a modern, high-profile organisation”.
The MBA course was funded at around £45,000 a year, according to Yahoo Sports, which also reported that the woman had received a 30 percent pay rise and been promoted from a junior post to a managerial role during the alleged relationship.
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FIFA calls the reporting defamatory
Infantino has denied the account through a FIFA spokesman, who called the allegations “categorically untrue” and warned that “any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory.”
The spokesman also insisted no complaint had ever been lodged against Infantino during his time at either governing body.
FIFA framed the story as an attempt to undermine a sitting president, telling Football Today that Infantino retains “a legitimate democratic mandate from the organisation’s 211 member associations”, per the outlet’s coverage.
A second front in the crisis
The Telegraph revelations arrive at the worst possible moment. Infantino is still trying to steady his presidency after his plan to sell commercial stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors collapsed under opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC.
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UEFA has said it will continue to boycott FIFA competitions if Infantino remains president, according to Football Today, turning what began as a policy row into a governance crisis. The Jordan Football Association has separately accused him of blackmail.
The affair allegations open a distinct misconduct front. According to the Telegraph’s reporting, then-UEFA president Michel Platini confronted Infantino with a “she or you” ultimatum and it was agreed the woman would leave with a pay-off. Infantino left UEFA in February 2016 to become FIFA president after 16 years at the European body, the last six as general secretary.
The scope UEFA is now considering goes beyond the specific payment. Officials want to know, Yahoo Sports reported, exactly how the settlement was authorized and whether the alleged relationship shaped staffing decisions during Infantino’s years in Nyon.
None of it appears to have shaken his intention to stand again. FIFA insists he holds his mandate from all 211 members, and every response so far has come through the press office rather than from Infantino himself.
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