Business & Finance
UEFA Prepares Swiss Criminal Action Against FIFA President Infantino Over Scrapped Commercial Deal
European football's governing body is seeking U.S. court discovery while Saudi Arabia maintains support for the embattled FIFA chief.
The short version
- UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging financial mismanagement and self-enrichment linked to a scrapped plan to sell stakes in FIFA tournament rights.
- UEFA filed applications in U.S. courts in Florida and Manhattan to secure evidence and documents for the planned Swiss proceedings.
- Infantino faces pressure to resign from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF, though Saudi Arabia's football federation publicly reaffirmed its support.
- UEFA withdrew its threat to boycott FIFA events after receiving assurances that the commercial sell-off plan will not be revived.
Key facts
- UEFA is preparing criminal legal proceedings in Swiss courts against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA over a cancelled plan to sell stakes in World Cup and other tournament rights.[Associated Press · BBC News]
- UEFA requested court-ordered evidence discovery in Florida and Manhattan, seeking files related to FIFA operations and investment fund Thrive Capital Management.[Associated Press · BBC News]
- The controversy stems from the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal to sell a 20 percent stake in a commercial subsidiary handling tournament rights.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
- The Saudi Arabian Football Federation issued a statement supporting Infantino's continued leadership and efforts to restore unity within FIFA.[Al Jazeera]
- Infantino faces resignation calls from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF ahead of a scheduled FIFA presidential election next March.[Al Jazeera]
- UEFA dropped its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving confirmation that the stake sale proposal was permanently abandoned.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Swiss prosecutors will formally accept and launch criminal proceedings based on UEFA's forthcoming complaint.[Associated Press · BBC News]
- Whether regional confederations will formalize a vote of no confidence against Infantino prior to the next FIFA presidential election.[Al Jazeera]