FIFA president Gianni Infantino has “categorically denied” that Uefa paid a 6-figure sum to his former staff member following an alleged affair.
The payment was reported by the Daily Telegraph and was made to the former worker after an alleged affair with Infantino during his time as Uefa general secretary. UEFA said a payment had been made to cover both their departure and an MBA course, but stated that it was within their rules at the time.
“FIFA President Gianni Infantino vehemently denies these allegations, and they are absolutely false,” said a FIFA spokesperson.
UEFA admitted that their employment rules had been strengthened since, and all staff now operate under the same terms.
Infantino worked for UEFA for 16 years and was their general secretary from 2009, before his election as FIFA president in 2016.
The scandal has come as he faces increased pressure on his leadership after his proposal to allow private investors to purchase shares in a firm set up to manage FIFA tournaments was rejected by UEFA and two other confederations.
And a number of countries, including Norway, have called for Infantino to resign, though the FIFA management board has backed him, and UEFA plans to boycott all FIFA tournaments after the administration only apologized rather than agreeing to new terms.
