FIFA has launched a fierce response to UEFA’s legal challenge over the abandoned plan to sell part of the World Cup to private investors, accusing European football’s governing body of waging a “smear campaign” against Gianni Infantino.
The war between UEFA and the FIFA president has now escalated into the US courts, with UEFA seeking evidence linked to the controversial FIFA Football Enterprises (FFE) project.
UEFA is also considering criminal proceedings against Infantino in Switzerland, adding another extraordinary twist to the growing battle for control of world football.
And FIFA has now hit back.
In a filing to a New York court, FIFA lawyers claimed UEFA’s legal applications were “little more than press releases” designed to further its alleged campaign against Infantino and the organisation’s leadership.
FIFA also questioned the basis of UEFA’s legal action, arguing that it is seeking evidence for a foreign criminal case that does not currently exist.
The latest development comes as UEFA looks to oust Infantino, either through his resignation or at the FIFA presidential election in March.
FIFA defends controversial World Cup plan
At the heart of the dispute is the abandoned FIFA Football Enterprises proposal, which could have seen private investors pump billions into a new FIFA commercial subsidiary.
Up to $4.2bn was reportedly set to come from investors as part of the plans, with the wider venture valued at around $20bn.
The proposal sparked a huge backlash and was eventually abandoned.
Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro even labelled the deal a “bad deal” for football before quitting his position.
FIFA, however, insists the project was never a done deal.
Its lawyers argue that FFE was “only a proposal” and would have needed approval from FIFA’s member associations and the FIFA Council before going ahead.
The governing body has also accused UEFA of acting in its own financial interests.
“Rather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release – the beginning of a weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” FIFA claimed.
The filing goes even further, alleging that:
“UEFA’s economic motivation was to prevent smaller countries from having the financial strength to compete with the European elite.”
FIFA argues that giving smaller nations greater financial resources would ultimately make world football more competitive – potentially weakening UEFA’s grip on the global game.
“If soccer is strengthened in the developing world, global competition increases,” FIFA said, arguing that this would “reduce UEFA’s market power” and create greater competition for its flagship tournaments.
UEFA vs Infantino gets uglier
The latest legal salvo marks another dramatic escalation in the increasingly bitter relationship between UEFA and Infantino.
UEFA has already warned that it could pursue criminal proceedings against the FIFA president in Switzerland, while also seeking evidence from individuals linked to the proposed investment deal.
The FIFA filing does not directly address all of UEFA’s criticism of Infantino, nor does it respond to concerns raised by football confederations in Asia and North America, which have accused the FIFA president of a “fundamental breach of trust.”
For now, the battle is firmly in the courts.
But with the FIFA presidential election looming in March, the fight over Infantino’s future – and the direction of world football – looks set to become even more explosive.
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