As Gianni Infantino continues to find himself engulfed by controversy and criticism, FIFA believes that its president is being unfairly targeted.
In a statement released Saturday, soccer’s international governing body reaffirmed its support for Infantino. In doing so, FIFA claimed “it is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President,” although the organization didn’t specify who it believes is behind such efforts.
“Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes,” the statement, published to FIFA’s website, reads. “Recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its President. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true.”
FIFA’s statement appears to be in reference to a story published by The Telegraph on Friday, which alleged that UEFA “paid off an alleged lover” of Infantino’s when he was the organization’s general secretary. In a statement to The Telegraph, FIFA confirmed that a payment to the individual in question had been made, but positioned it as a severance package while noting that it has since “tightened” its regulations. FIFA also denied that Infantino had an affair with a junior employee, calling such claims “...
As Gianni Infantino continues to find himself engulfed by controversy and criticism, FIFA believes that its president is being unfairly targeted. In a statement released Saturday, soccer’s interna...