FIFA has defended its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the world football governing body.
FIFA issued the statement Saturday, a day after British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported questions surrounding an exit payment made by UEFA to a female staff member who worked with Infantino when he was secretary general of European football’s governing body.
UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” had been made to the employee and said it was “in line” with the regulations in place at the time.
Infantino spent 16 years working at UEFA before being elected FIFA president.
In its Saturday statement, FIFA accused Infantino’s critics of seeking to weaken his authority and remove him from office without following due process.
“It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its president,” FIFA said.
It added that those who lack the support of FIFA’s member associations should not try to achieve through allegations, insinuations or misinformation what they cannot accomplish through the organization’s established democratic processes.
FIFA also said some reports had included “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” that should not be presented as facts.
“Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president or the institution he was elected to lead,” the statement said.
Infantino has faced strong criticism after details emerged of his plan to sell World Cup profits to private equity firms. UEFA and two other continental confederations — North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation — rejected the proposal.
Infantino received support from FIFA’s management board last Wednesday following a meeting in Morocco, and he apologized over the process.
However, UEFA’s threat to have its 55 member associations boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was dropped remained in place. UEFA said Thursday that the announcement “changes nothing.”
Regarding the departure payment, UEFA said it “was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.”
The organization added that the rules have since been tightened and now “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organization.”