UEFA Confirms Payment to Alleged Infantino Mistress
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- UEFA confirmed it is aware of allegations it paid off a woman allegedly in a relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who served as the governing body's general secretary from 2000 to 2016.
- The Telegraph reported the payment was a six-figure sum, and that UEFA additionally paid for the individual's MBA at a local business school after she departed.
- Gianni Infantino 'strongly denies' the allegations, with FIFA calling them 'categorically untrue' and stating no employee at UEFA or FIFA has ever raised a complaint about his behavior.
- UEFA acknowledged the departure payment plus MBA fees were made, stating they were 'in line with regulations' that existed for departing staff at the time.
- UEFA said its regulations have been tightened since 2016, with current staff rules reflecting those of a 'modern, high-profile organisation.'
Why it matters: The allegation sits at the intersection of a six-figure departure payment UEFA acknowledges making and Infantino's categorical denial of any inappropriate conduct. By confirming the payment occurred while defending it as regulation-compliant, UEFA has left the dispute centered on the meaning of the transaction rather than its existence.
