UEFA Investigates Allegations of Payment to Gianni Infantino's Alleged Mistress

UEFA has acknowledged it is examining an allegation that European football’s governing body paid off an alleged mistress of Gianni Infantino during his time in Switzerland.

According to The Telegraph, while Infantino served as general secretary at UEFA, a woman said to have been in a relationship with the current FIFA president received a six-figure sum after leaving the organisation. The report states that UEFA covered the cost of her MBA at a local business school as part of that package.

The claims strike at the heart of football’s political establishment. Infantino, who worked at UEFA from 2000 until 2016 before winning the FIFA presidency, sits at the apex of the global game. Any suggestion of impropriety around his conduct or the use of institutional funds carries obvious weight.

FIFA moved quickly to push back.

In a statement to The Telegraph, a FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory.

“No employee at UEFA and FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino's behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved. All company actions related to employees, including any departure and severance packages, have always been approved by the appropriate directors in accordance with all applicable regulations.”

UEFA, contacted separately by Sky Sports News, did not dispute that a payment was made. Instead, it framed the transaction as standard practice under the rules in place at the time.

In its statement, UEFA 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 an 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.”

That is the crux of the institutional defence: yes, there was money; yes, there was an MBA; no, say UEFA and FIFA, there was nothing improper about why or how it happened.

The timing matters. The regulations UEFA refers to were revised in 2016, the same year Infantino left Nyon to take charge at FIFA in Zurich. UEFA insists the current framework is stricter and more closely aligned with what would be expected of any major international body.

For now, the picture is stark. An allegation of a secret payoff. A governing body confirming the payment but insisting it followed the rulebook. A sitting FIFA president rejecting every aspect of the claim.

Sky Sports News has contacted FIFA for further comment. The questions around governance, transparency and power at the very top of the sport are only likely to grow louder from here.