FIFA Blames UEFA for 'Smear Campaign' Against Infantino
The dispute between the two football associations reached a US court, in which UEFA is looking to drag FIFA's Infantino to criminal proceedings.
FIFA has accused Europe's UEFA of orchestrating a smear campaign and fishing expedition against the organization and its President, Gianni Infantino. The dispute arose from FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights, leading UEFA to file an ex parte application with a US District Court in New York. This move aims to obtain testimony and documents from US-based entities, which could be utilized in potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
FIFA contends that UEFA's application is merely a press release designed to support a smear campaign against itself and its leadership. UEFA argues that FIFA's FFE, which would have granted commercial rights linked to the FIFA World Cup to investors without adequate consultation from FIFA's 211 member associations, was developed without proper authorization.
UEFA threatened a boycott of the FIFA World Cup if the plan proceeded. FIFA claims UEFA attempted to thwart the proposal to maintain European football's dominance. Several continental confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC, have called for Infantino's resignation, while the South American and African confederations still back him.
UEFA also demands a genuinely independent external review of the proposal's origin, emphasizing that FIFA cannot self-investigate and expect the global football community to accept its conclusions.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
