{"id":10029,"date":"2026-08-08T08:16:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=10029"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:16:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:16:35","slug":"fifa-president-gianni-infantino-denies-alleged-affair-calls-uefa-payoff-claims-defamatory-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=10029","title":{"rendered":"FIFA president Gianni Infantino denies alleged affair, calls UEFA payoff claims &#8216;defamatory&#8217; | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133047732,imgsize-39506,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg\" alt=\"FIFA president Gianni Infantino denies alleged affair, calls UEFA payoff claims 'defamatory'\" title=\"FIFA President Gianni Infantino (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez, File)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"FIFA President Gianni Infantino (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez, File)\">FIFA President Gianni Infantino (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez, File)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>FIFA president Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA funds were used to finance a severance package for a former employee with whom he allegedly had a relationship during his time as UEFA general secretary.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The allegations, published in an investigation by The Daily Telegraph, claim the woman received a rapid promotion, a significant salary increase and, after leaving UEFA, a six-figure exit package that allegedly included funding for a business school MBA.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Infantino, through a FIFA spokesperson, dismissed the claims as false and defamatory.<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>&#8220;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.&#8221;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>The spokesperson also stressed that neither UEFA nor FIFA had ever received a complaint regarding Infantino&#8217;s conduct.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>&#8220;No employee at UEFA and FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino&#8217;s behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved,&#8221; a FIFA spokesman told the publication.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>What the report alleges<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>According to The Daily Telegraph, the alleged events took place while Infantino served as UEFA general secretary between 2009 and 2016. The report claims the woman, initially employed in a junior administrative role, was quickly promoted to a managerial position with a salary of around 160,000 Swiss francs.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>It further alleges that then-UEFA president Michel Platini became aware of the relationship and gave Infantino an ultimatum, after which the employee left the organisation. The investigation also alleges that UEFA paid the woman a six-figure departure package and covered MBA tuition fees worth approximately \u00a345,000 per year, with the payments allegedly coming from funds earmarked for grassroots football development.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>UEFA responds<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>UEFA has reportedly confirmed that a departure payment was made to the individual in question but said the payment was made in accordance with the rules that were applicable at the time. The governing body also said the payment covered fees for the woman to complete an MBA course at a local business school.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>UEFA added that its regulations have since been strengthened and now reflect the standards expected of a modern international sporting organisation.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Fresh Controversy Adds to Pressure on Infantino<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>The allegations come at a difficult time for Gianni Infantino, who is already facing scrutiny over his leadership of FIFA after the governing body withdrew a controversial private investment proposal linked to the commercial future of the World Cup. The plan sparked criticism from several football associations over concerns about transparency and governance, prompting Infantino to apologise to FIFA&#8217;s 211 member associations.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-denies-alleged-affair-calls-uefa-payoff-claims-defamatory\/articleshow\/133047657.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FIFA President Gianni Infantino (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez, File) FIFA president Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA funds were used to finance a severance package for a former employee with whom he allegedly had a relationship during his time as UEFA general secretary.The allegations, published in an investigation by The Daily Telegraph, claim the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/canada-carney-infantino.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"FIFA President Gianni Infantino (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez, File) FIFA president Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA funds were used to finance a severance package for a former employee with whom he allegedly had a relationship during his time as UEFA general secretary.The allegations, published in an investigation by The Daily Telegraph, claim the [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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