Uefa Confirms Departure Payment Linked to Gianni Infantino

Uefa has confirmed it made a “departure payment” to a former female employee who is alleged to have had a relationship with Gianni Infantino during his time as the organisation’s general secretary, deepening the scrutiny around the current Fifa president.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the woman received a six-figure sum after leaving Uefa, linked to the alleged relationship with Infantino. In its response, Uefa did not address the nature of the relationship but did acknowledge both the payoff and the funding of an MBA course.

In a statement, European football’s governing body said: “We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for a MBA course at a local business school.

“The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.

“Such regulations have been tightened since 2016 and the current staff regulations – which apply to all UEFA employees at whatever level – reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation.”

Infantino, who worked at Uefa for 16 years and served as general secretary from 2009 until his election as Fifa president in February 2016, has rejected the claims. A spokesman for the Fifa president told the Telegraph that he “strongly denies these categorically untrue allegations”.

The Press Association has contacted Fifa for comment.

The revelation lands at a moment when Infantino is already under intense pressure. For more than a week he has been battling a backlash over his controversial proposal to seek private investment in a company that would control Fifa’s competitions, including both the men’s and women’s World Cups.

That plan has split the game’s political landscape. Uefa and two other continental confederations rejected the project outright, alarmed at the idea of handing slices of the World Cup’s commercial power to outside investors.

Infantino did secure a measure of support on Wednesday, when Fifa’s management board, meeting in Morocco, backed him after discussions over the investment scheme. He issued an apology over the way the process had been handled, an attempt to cool tempers rather than a retreat from office.

But in Europe, the mood has not softened. Uefa’s threat that its 55 member associations could boycott Fifa competitions until the investment plan is scrapped still stands. On Thursday, the confederation underlined its stance, insisting that Wednesday’s show of support for Infantino “changes nothing”.

For a president who built his power base from within Uefa’s corridors, the growing rift with his former employers now cuts far deeper than a single disputed payment.