Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged ‘lover’

Gianni Infantino, the current president of Fifa, has categorically denied allegations that he paid off an alleged lover with a severance payment while serving as general secretary of Uefa. The Daily Telegraph reported that the woman, who was married, received a six-figure sum during Infantino's tenure at Uefa between 2009 and 2016.

A Uefa spokesman confirmed to the newspaper that a departure payment was indeed made to the individual, which covered the costs of her pursuing an MBA at a local business school. The payment was deemed in line with Uefa's regulations at the time. Uefa stated that no employee from either Uefa or Fifa has ever raised a complaint about Infantino's behavior.

The allegations have added pressure on Infantino, who is currently facing calls to resign as Fifa president due to his controversial plans to sell World Cup stakes to private investors. Despite his apology for "errors" made in those proposals, Infantino did not resign following a meeting in Morocco with senior executives. European teams have threatened to boycott Fifa events, citing unmet conditions, but Conmebol and Caf, as well as the football associations of Mexico and Argentina, have supported Infantino. Fifa and Infantino have not yet responded to requests for comment.