Fifa criticises campaign to oust president Infantino

Fifa has vehemently denounced a campaign seeking to remove its president, Gianni Infantino, following a Daily Telegraph report alleging that an unnamed woman close to Infantino was given a severance payment by Uefa following an affair while he was Uefa's general secretary. Infantino "strongly denies" these claims, stating they are "categorically untrue".

Fifa has criticized the "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims" circulating in the media, emphasizing that speculation and insinuation should not be treated as fact. The organization has joined Uefa and other European football associations in targeting Infantino, citing his failed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. This plan aimed to create a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% sold to a private investment firm.

Uefa has expressed its loss of confidence in Infantino, while the Norwegian Football Federation's president, Lise Klaveness, has called for his resignation. The European football governing body has threatened to boycott Fifa events if its demands for a halt to the FFE plan are not met.

Fifa maintains that Infantino was democratically elected by the organization's member associations and continues to serve with their mandate. The statement warns that those without the support of the member associations should not seek to achieve their goals through allegations, insinuation, or misinformation. Infantino's opposition is largely coming from within Europe, with the Mexican and South American football federations backing him, as well as all 54 nations of the Confederation of African Football.