FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been accused by a British newspaper of paying off an alleged lover and securing her a promotion during his time at UEFA. According to The Telegraph, Infantino allegedly used his influence to advance the employee with whom he was in an intimate relationship while serving as UEFA secretary general from 2009 to 2016.
The report claims the unnamed employee received a six-figure sum upon her departure, alongside approximately £45,000 ($60,700) for business school tuition fees. UEFA insisted the payment aligned with existing regulations for departing staff at the time, noting that such rules have since been tightened.
A FIFA spokesperson stated that Infantino, married since 2001, strongly denies the allegations as categorically untrue. FIFA added that any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of regulations is defamatory, and emphasized that no employee at UEFA or FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Infantino's behavior.
The controversy follows a difficult week for Infantino, who faces opposition ahead of his re-election bid next March. He was previously embroiled in a crisis over a now-abandoned plan to open the World Cup to private investors, a proposal that prompted threats of a World Cup boycott from UEFA.