Gianni Infantino was UEFA’s general secretary at the time. The governing body has confirmed that it gave a former employee a severance payment and funding for an MBA course. Infantino has denied suggestions the benefits were linked to an inappropriate relationship.
The Telegraph was first to report the allegations, claiming Infantino had a relationship with a junior UEFA employee during his time as general secretary from 2009 to '16. She was later promoted and received a six-figure payout when she left UEFA, the paper said. She has not been publicly named.
UEFA confirmed that the former employee was paid a leaving bonus and that they covered the cost of an MBA course at a local business school.
But UEFA said the payment was in line with the staff regulations in force at the time.
“The payment was in accordance with regulations for leaving staff at the time,” UEFA said. Since then, the organisation said, it has strengthened its staff rules and now aligns them with what it calls the standards expected of a modern international organisation.
The confirmation states that the payment and education costs were made. It does not confirm that they were compensated in relation to a personal relationship.
Now FIFA president, Infantino has strenuously denied the allegations. The claims were “categorically untrue”, a FIFA spokesman told The Telegraph, dismissing any suggestion of wrongdoing or breaches of regulations.
FIFA has also accused unnamed critics of seeking to undermine Infantino with allegations and what it calls “misinformation”. The organisation said it welcomed legitimate scrutiny, but insisted that allegations that are unfounded should not dictate football’s governance.
The row comes amid wider criticism of Infantino over FIFA’s recent plan to allow private investment in the commercial rights of major tournaments, including the World Cup.
UEFA and its 55 national associations voted to boycott competitions under FIFA’s jurisdiction if the investment proposal went ahead. The European body has remained firm even after FIFA dropped the plan, saying it wants guarantees that a similar proposal won’t be put forward again.
The row has piled on pressure on Infantino’s leadership ahead of the next FIFA presidential election.
But at the same time, Infantino still has plenty of support outside Europe. In April, the Confederation of African Football said its member associations unanimously backed his bid for another term covering 2027-31.
So the latest allegations add yet another twist to what is already a serious dispute about the direction and governance of world football. But the evidence available so far confirms payment and education benefits were received by the former employee, not that they were given because of an affair.
Still unclear is what
UEFA has not publicly identified the former employee or independently established the precise amount and terms of the departure payment in its public statement.
It is unclear what employment circumstances led to the payment, how the MBA funding was approved, or whether any internal review was conducted at the time.
Those questions likely will remain central in the examination of the allegations.
