Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged 'lover'

Gianni Infantino, the current president of Fifa, has categorically denied allegations that Uefa paid off his alleged lover during his tenure as the organization's general secretary. According to a Daily Telegraph investigation, Infantino's alleged lover was given a severance payment after the affair, which occurred while Infantino was at the helm of European football's governing body from 2009 to 2016.

A Fifa spokesman firmly stated that Infantino "strongly denies these categorically untrue allegations" and that no employee at Uefa or Fifa has ever raised a complaint regarding his behavior.

Uefa confirmed that a payment was indeed made to the individual in question, which encompassed the costs of her pursuing an MBA degree at a local business school. The organization asserted that the payments adhered to regulations at the time, but these regulations have since been tightened to reflect those in a modern, high-profile organization.

The allegations have put additional pressure on Infantino, who is currently grappled with calls to resign as Fifa president due to his aborted plans to privatize World Cup revenues. Though Infantino has apologized for "errors" in these proposals, he has not stepped down following support from senior executives at a meeting in Morocco.

Notably, European teams have threatened to boycott Fifa events, citing unmet conditions, yet Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football have expressed their backing for Infantino, as do the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and Argentina.