FIFA has accused UEFA of running a “misinformation campaign” against the organisation and its president Gianni Infantino in the latest escalation of a growing power struggle at the top of world football.
The dispute centres on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have transferred FIFA’s commercial and tournament operations to a new subsidiary before a stake was sold to private investors.
UEFA has asked a court in the United States for access to documents and evidence connected to the plan. It says the material could help determine whether to pursue a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland.
FIFA has rejected the request and is asking the Southern District of Florida to deny UEFA’s application.
UEFA allegations against Infantino
UEFA’s legal move represents a significant intensification of its opposition to Infantino’s leadership.
The European governing body has accused the FIFA president of “criminal mismanagement” and claimed the FFE proposal involved “a fraudulently off-market price promoted by [him] for his own benefit.”
UEFA says documents related to the proposed investment should be disclosed while it considers whether further criminal claims should be made in Switzerland.
The controversy began when FIFA’s plan to sell part of the proposed enterprise to private investors met resistance from several sections of the football community. The proposal was later abandoned.
FIFA has strongly rejected UEFA’s allegations. In its response to the Florida court, it said UEFA’s submission contained “numerous false or misleading statements about Fifa and Infantino”.
It also dismissed the suggestion that Infantino was seeking to benefit personally from the proposed enterprise.
FIFA described UEFA’s request as “farcically overbroad”, arguing that comparable applications had previously been rejected by US courts. Its lawyers had already characterised UEFA’s legal efforts as part of a wider campaign against FIFA and its leadership.
The governing body has made clear that it does not intend to provide the requested documents.
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FIFA has said the FFE was intended to create additional revenue for football and increase investment in the game.
UEFA and other critics challenged the proposed structure, its valuation and the way decisions surrounding the plan were being made. Court filings from UEFA alleged that FIFA’s commercial rights had been valued far below their true worth and again suggested that Infantino could have benefited personally.
FIFA has rejected those claims. Recent reporting says it argued the proposed enterprise was worth more than $30bn, considerably higher than the figure cited by UEFA.
The European body has led opposition to Infantino, while criticism of his leadership has also come from outside Europe. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, has called for all documents relating to the proposal to be released and supported an independent review.
UEFA’s application is intended to help establish whether further proceedings should be brought. No criminal prosecution against Infantino in Switzerland has been confirmed as a result of the US discovery requests; the current case concerns UEFA’s attempt to obtain evidence.
The latest FIFA filing also accuses UEFA of trying to influence the forthcoming presidential contest. Potential challengers have until 18 November to put forward an alternative candidate.
The court proceedings do not resolve the wider dispute, which now covers both the disclosure of documents and the allegations made over the abandoned FFE plan.