MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. International football federation FIFA believes that it is witnessing a deliberate attempt to harm the reputation of the organization and its President Gianni Infantino, reads a FIFA statement published on the X social network by journalist Ben Jacobs.
The Telegraph earlier reported that UEFA had paid a six-figure compensation to an employee who was in a relationship with Infantino while he was UEFA General Secretary.
"It is increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President. Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes," the statement reads.
"Recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its President. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true,’ FIFA continued.
"The FIFA President has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to European and world football, contributing to significant change in the game and, in particular, to broadening access, resources and opportunity across world football," the document reads. "Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s President or the institution he was elected to lead."
Infantino served as UEFA General Secretary from 2009 to 2016 before becoming FIFA president. He has been re-elected twice and is married with four children.