Gianni Infantino alleged affair with junior employee at UEFA, African Federation, Mexico and Argentina publicly support Infantino, latest news in football’s civil war

Beleaguered FIFA president Gianni Infantino is under more pressure following a report that UEFA paid off an alleged mistress during his time as general secretary of the European governing body.

The Telegraph report comes after Infantino received some much-needed support, following more than a week of scathing criticism revolving around the now shelved private investment plan – FIFA said it could raise up to US$4.2 billion based on a valuation of US$20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

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UEFA allegedly paid off the woman, a junior colleague who was promoted to a management position with a 30 per cent pay rise to salary of about 160,000 Swiss francs ($280,290) by Infantino during their alleged relationship, with a six-figure sum while Infantino was general secretary.

They are also said to have paid for her to complete an MBA at a business school and Infantino allegedly used his connections to get her a lucrative role in a similar field once she left the organisation.

UEFA, who have been at loggerheads with Infantino for some time but tensions have flared due to the botched private investment plan, admitted in a statement that a payment had been made and that the organisation was aware of the relationship allegations.

“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,” a UEFA spokesman said.

“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.”

Infantino spent 16 years at UEFA before becoming FIFA boss in 2016 and the 56-year-old Italian-Swiss lawyer turned football administrator is married with four children -he and Leena Al Ashqar, who worked for the Lebanese Football Federation, were wed in 2001.

Former colleagues told The Telegraph of the alleged workplace relationship.

“He made a huge mistake and it almost cost him his career. People [within UEFA] were telling [former UEFA president Michel] Platini, ‘You have to fire him’,” a source said.

Another insider added: “Platini challenged Gianni, saying something like ‘she or you?’ and Gianni said, ‘She will leave’, and she left.”

FIFA came to Infantino’s defence, however.

“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,” a spokesman said.

“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.”

The report places added pressure on Infantino to resign.

He has spent most of the last week trying to gain support from FIFA’s office in Rabat, Morocco, which was only opened last year, before appearing at a presidential inauguration in Colombia.

Morocco will co-host the 2030 men’s World Cup with Spain and Portugal, and Infantino is alleged to have promised the North African nation the World Cup final at the new 115,000 seat stadium being built in Casablanca in exchange for their support.

Morocco is also where next year’s FIFA congress, where Infantino faces re-election, and is accused by The Telegraph of playing off current geopolitical tensions between Spain and Morocco heightened by migrants entering into Spanish territory last month.

A key element of Infantino’s hold on power for the last decade has been his close relationship with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), who, along with the Mexican and Argentinian football federations, have shared their support for Infantino’s re-election.

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However, old ties have been cut loose.

UEFA on Thursday doubled down on last Saturday’s statement saying it no longer has “confidence” in Infantino.

Its reaction came in the wake of Infantino gaining the full support of senior FIFA directors — dismissed as those “whose careers depend on his favour” — and UEFA repeated its threat of boycotting the World Cups.

UEFA’s deployment last Thursday of the nuclear option of the boycott is said to have been pivotal in forcing Infantino to shelve the private investment deal.

One of its member associations, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), did not beat around the bush and called for him to go immediately.

“We (NFF) are going to ask the FIFA president to resign now,” said its straight-talking president Lise Klaveness on Friday.

Infantino is nigh on certain not to heed such a call and carry on his campaign to be elected for a fourth and final term in Rabat next March.

Infantino, who has spent the past turbulent week among friends in Morocco who are co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, is for the moment the only candidate.

The deadline for nominations is November 18.

There is also a mechanism whereby an extraordinary FIFA congress can be called and a vote of no confidence in Infantino held.

Klaveness, also a lawyer, would be many people’s choices as a successor, and also the first woman to be head of world football.

However, Klaveness told AFP her personal ambitions had not played a role in demanding Infantino’s resignation.

“We’re not there yet,” said Klaveness.

“For us, it’s now about the issues I just mentioned, and not about particular individuals.

“It would be strange for me to start answering questions about myself, and that goes for everyone,” the 45-year-old added.

– ‘Public lynching’ –

North and Central America’s governing body CONCACAF’s president Victor Montagliani has been the most oft-cited name in terms of challenging Infantino.

CONCACAF — which includes the three co-hosts of the recent World Cup — had been along with UEFA the most brutal in their taking down of Infantino even after the humiliating climbdown last Saturday when he withdrew the proposal.

CONCACAF had called for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency”. However, there has been radio silence from CONCACAF since the latest FIFA statement was issued late on Wednesday following Infantino hosting an emergency meeting of senior directors in Morocco.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had also been critical of the manner in which the plan had been handled but like CONCACAF kept its own counsel following the FIFA statement.

Far from Infantino keeping the plan to himself some of those FIFA directors present in Morocco are reported by the New York Times to have been made aware of the proposal at a meeting on the eve of the World Cup final last month.

Infantino, who has moved on to Colombia where he will attend the inauguration of the hard-right president Abelardo de la Espriella, is not without support, though, and some stepped forward publicly.

One of CONCACAF’s most powerful members Mexico — one of the World Cup co-hosts — may have been unhappy over the plan but now it is no longer in play they have swung behind him.

“The FMF (Mexican Football Federation) supports president Infantino’s leadership,” it said in a statement.

CAF’s executive committee “unanimously reconfirmed its support” for the FIFA president in a statement following a meeting on Thursday.

The body’s decision will have pleased South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie, who had urged African football to resist what he called the “public lynching” of Infantino.