FIFA has issued a strong warning over what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” aimed at weakening the position of its president, Gianni Infantino.
The world football governing body released the statement on Saturday after British media reports raised allegations concerning Infantino’s private life.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Uefa had made payments to a former employee following a romantic relationship with Infantino while he was serving as secretary general of the European governing body. Infantino has denied the allegations, while Fifa dismissed them as unfounded.
The latest controversy comes as tensions surrounding Infantino’s leadership continue to intensify following the failure of his attempt to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments.
Uefa and other football bodies have urged Infantino to step down, while the dispute led to a crisis meeting in Morocco, where Fifa’s leadership restated its backing for the president.
Fifa did not name the individuals or organisations it believes are attempting to undermine Infantino, nor did it clarify which specific reports or allegations its statement addressed.
“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,” Fifa said.
The governing body also criticised recent coverage, describing it as containing “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” about Fifa and its president. It said inaccurate or misleading reports would be challenged “directly and vigorously”.
Fifa further stated that it would not back, assist or accept any attempt to influence the presidential election that falls outside its statutes, democratic procedures and governance framework.
“The Fifa president was democratically elected by Fifa’s member associations and continues to serve with their mandate,” it said.
After last week’s meeting in Morocco, Fifa apologised to its 211 member associations over errors in the way the proposal had been handled and said its leadership had once again expressed its “full support for Infantino”.
The dispute has raised fresh questions over Infantino’s campaign for another term at the Fifa Congress next March, although no obvious challenger has so far emerged.
Uefa has stated that it no longer has confidence in Infantino, while Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness also called for his resignation on Friday, arguing that he no longer possessed the institutional trust needed to lead Fifa.
Despite the growing opposition, Infantino retains significant backing among FIFA’s 211 member associations. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously endorsed his leadership on Thursday, while South America’s Conmebol opposed any effort to remove him without a vote involving all Fifa members.
Mexico’s football federation (FMF) likewise expressed its support for Infantino, even though its regional governing body, Concacaf, has demanded a “comprehensive reckoning” over his presidency.
“The FMF will neither recognise nor approve any process convened outside of that institutional framework,” the Mexican federation said.
