FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces fresh scrutiny over alleged UEFA settlement

Gianni Infantino is facing renewed criticism after reports that UEFA paid a six-figure sum to a former employee with whom the current FIFA president allegedly had a relationship while he was working for European football’s governing body.

The claims were reported by The Telegraph, which said the woman was employed by UEFA at the same time as Infantino. She was allegedly promoted to a better-paid management position during the period of their reported relationship and later received a severance payment worth at least six figures.

UEFA also reportedly covered the cost of her MBA studies at a business school. The governing body has confirmed both that it paid the departure settlement and that it funded the MBA fees.

According to UEFA, the arrangements complied with the regulations in force at the time. Those rules have since been strengthened, the organisation said.

Infantino has categorically rejected the allegations. A FIFA spokesperson told The Telegraph that the claims were “false” and said no complaint had ever been made about Infantino’s conduct.

The Telegraph also reported, citing sources, that Infantino was confronted about the alleged relationship by Michel Platini, who was UEFA president at the time. Platini is said to have issued an ultimatum, telling him that either Infantino or the woman would have to leave the organisation.

The woman ultimately departed UEFA.

The report adds to the pressure on Infantino, who has already faced criticism over FIFA’s plans for commercial expansion. UEFA strongly opposed that project, arguing that it represented a breakdown in trust between the two governing bodies.

As a result, uncertainty surrounding Infantino’s future as FIFA president is growing.

The latest allegations concern a period when both Infantino and the woman worked at UEFA. The reported promotion, the financial support for the MBA and the severance payment all took place against that background, although UEFA has maintained that the decisions were lawful under the rules applicable at the time.

The claims have not resulted in a formal complaint against Infantino, according to FIFA’s response to The Telegraph. The organisation has rejected the allegations in their entirety, while UEFA has confirmed the payments but said its procedures have since been tightened.

Infantino’s position is therefore being examined amid wider tensions between FIFA and UEFA. UEFA’s opposition to FIFA’s commercialisation plans has already exposed a serious disagreement between the organisations, with its leadership warning that the proposals damaged confidence between them.

The reported dispute involving Platini and the former UEFA employee, combined with the continuing disagreement over FIFA’s commercial project, has intensified scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership and left his longer-term position increasingly uncertain.