FIFA President Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA paid a severance package to a female employee with whom he was allegedly romantically involved during his time as general secretary of European football's governing body.
A spokesperson for Infantino told the Daily Telegraph, which first reported the story: "FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly rejects these allegations, and they are completely untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or breach of statutes or regulations is defamatory. No employee at UEFA or FIFA has ever complained about Mr. Infantino's conduct because there has never been anything to complain about."
UEFA, however, issued a statement confirming that "a severance payment was made to the individual concerned," along with the cost of an MBA course, and said the payment "complied" with applicable regulations.
According to the Daily Telegraph investigation published on Friday, UEFA paid the woman a six-figure sum. The woman is said to have had a relationship with Infantino, who is married, during his time as general secretary of European football's governing body.
FIFA did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment.
The allegations come as the 56-year-old Italian-Swiss lawyer faces a wave of opposition that could threaten his career after a plan to sell off stakes in FIFA's tournaments to private investors stalled.
UEFA, where Infantino served as general secretary from 2009 to 2016, is currently in a public dispute with FIFA. On Thursday, UEFA reiterated its statement from last Saturday that it no longer has "trust" in Infantino, and repeated threats to boycott the World Cup. The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), a UEFA member, has called on Infantino to "resign immediately."
"We will demand that the FIFA president resign now," NFF President Lise Klaveness said bluntly on Friday.
Meanwhile, the football federations of Mexico and Argentina are the latest to express support for the embattled head of world football, following the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) unanimous backing of Infantino's leadership on Thursday. South America's CONMEBOL expressed concern about "repeated unilateral actions without resorting to dialogue."
Infantino is almost certain to proceed with his campaign for a fourth and final term at the election scheduled for Rabat, Morocco, in March. He is currently the only candidate. The deadline for nominations is November 18.
