Source : ABC NEWS
European football body UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private investors, and said any potential evidence should not be destroyed.
Infantino’s secretive proposal to raise $US4.2 billion ($6 billion) from investors, including the New York investment firm of Joshua Kushner, was dropped on Saturday, days after media reports revealed it, provoking a global furore.
UEFA led the backlash and its 55 member federations met to agree to boycott all FIFA events and competitions while the proposal was active.
Now UEFA’s lawyers have informed FIFA that the European body is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints … arising out of and in connection with the FFE (FIFA Forward Enterprise) plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters”.
The letter named 18 FIFA executives who it said should retain data, documents and electronic messages as potential evidence. They include Infantino, Zurich-based chief finance officer Thomas Peyer and Arsène Wenger, the coaching great who is FIFA’s head of global football development.
“UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice — or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated — may constitute spoliation of evidence,” the letter said.
Meanwhile, the Swedish football federation confirmed that UEFA is actively looking “to come up with an alternative candidate” as FIFA president. The next election is scheduled in March.
On Saturday, UEFA signalled it wants to end Infantino’s decade-long presidency, saying he had lost the confidence of world football and that “no option should be off the table”.
Hours earlier, Infantino had withdrawn the divisive proposal that offered FIFA’s 211 member federations one-off payments of $20 million each with a mid-September deadline to accept.
The FFE spin-off valued by FIFA at $20 billion would have taken control of the football body’s money-making commercial and tournament operations through at least 2038. It promised to more than double development money over that time for the 211 members who already effectively own the Zurich-based not-for-profit governing body.
It was the project of just one man, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a stinging statement, that said staff felt deceived by their boss Infantino.
FIFA’s COO said staff felt “deceived” by Infantino’s plan. (Getty Images: Joosep Martinson)
Legal proceedings are “reasonably anticipated,” UEFA’s lawyer Andrew J Levander wrote, citing the belief of football stakeholders that the plan was “fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football”.
UEFA has been outspoken against its former employee Infantino, while the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF also made strong statements opposing Infantino’s plan.
Infantino has most support from his traditional base in Africa, while South America’s CONMEBOL is relying on him to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams from 48. That would give more hosting games to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the home country of CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez.
Gianni Infantino is reportedly seeking support from Donald Trump in his FIFA presidency battle. (Reuters: Dylan Martinez)
Infantino’s path to stabilising the presidency he has held for more than 10 years was unclear. A report yesterday claimed he was seeking support from the administration of his close ally US President Donald Trump, possibly in a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“There are no plans for @SecRubio to speak with Infantino and there is no call this morning,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, posted on social media.
The 56-year-old FIFA leader left New York after the World Cup final two weeks ago seemingly a lock to be re-elected unopposed next March for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.
FIFA briefed at the World Cup that Infantino had pledged letters of support from about 200 of the 211 member federations.
Those letters are now likely being withdrawn across Europe, with the Wales federation the first to announce its reversal.
The candidate deadline is November 18 for an election four months later in Morocco.
AP
