FIFA has sharply condemned what it describes as a “coordinated and continuous attempt” to “undermine” the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino.
The statement comes after a report by the Daily Telegraph, which alleged that Infantino’s supposed lover received a severance payment from UEFA following an affair during his tenure as general secretary.
A FIFA spokesperson informed the Telegraph that Infantino “firmly denies” the allegations, stating they are “entirely untrue.”
FIFA has criticized the “unsubstantiated assertions and clearly false claims,” emphasizing that “speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact.”
Infantino is facing growing pressure from UEFA and European football associations due to his failed proposal for the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
Under FFE, a new company would have been established to oversee commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% of it sold to a private investment firm.
UEFA has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, and on Friday, Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness urged the Swiss-Italian to step down.
Europe’s football governing body states that their potential boycott of FIFA events is still under consideration, noting they have not received any assurances regarding the non-revival of the FFE plan.
“The FIFA president was elected through a democratic process by the organization’s Member Associations and continues to serve under their mandate,” stated FIFA in its announcement on Saturday.
It is becoming increasingly clear that there are continuous, coordinated attempts by certain individuals to undermine FIFA and its president.
Individuals lacking the support of FIFA’s member associations shouldn’t attempt to accomplish through allegations, insinuations, or misinformation what they can’t achieve via FIFA’s established democratic procedures.
READ ALSO: FIFA: Infantino Stays On as President After Challenging Period
The main resistance to Infantino primarily comes from European sources.
The Mexican Football Federation diverged from its regional governing body, Concacaf, to express support for Infantino.
It mirrored a declaration from Conmebol, South America’s governing body, asserting that it would oppose any effort to remove Infantino without the involvement of all 211 FIFA member countries in a vote.
Infantino has received unanimous support from all 54 nations of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Infantino convened a meeting of the FIFA management board in Rabat, Morocco on Wednesday.
FIFA released a statement from Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, apologizing for the FFE proposal. However, they also declared that any attacks on their integrity, good governance, and due process would “no longer be tolerated.”
The statement issued late on Saturday evening also adopted a defensive tone regarding the criticism directed at the organization.
“While change often challenges established interests, opposing it does not justify attempts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president or the institution he leads,” it added.
FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny; however, it should not be used as a license to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations, or create distractions aimed at undermining progress.
“Fifa will directly and actively challenge any reporting that is inaccurate or misleading.”
BBC
