Fifa has accused Uefa of waging a “misinformation campaign” and attempting to influence the Fifa presidential race, in new court documents filed in the United States.
Last month Uefa, European football’s governing body, filed legal papers in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa, warning that it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland. Uefa accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” and “a fraudulently off-market price promoted by [him] for his own benefit” over the now-shelved Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.
In its response on Monday night, Fifa said Uefa’s filing contained “numerous false or misleading statements about Fifa and Infantino”. In a filing in the Southern District of Florida opposing Uefa’s motion for discovery, Fifa said: “With no basis whatsoever, Uefa suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal.”
Fifa added: “Uefa’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit.” It also described Uefa’s filing as “farcically overbroad”, saying that “districts faced with similar requests have outright rejected such applications”.
Uefa has led the rebellion against the Fifa president, who is facing calls to stand down from three confederations. Fifa’s FFE plan proposed selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, sparking a major backlash. Infantino faced calls for his resignation but claimed the project had been intended to generate additional money for the game.
Earlier this month, Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, a Fifa vice-president, told Infantino to release all documents relating to his controversial plan, and called for an independent review of FFE. Infantino will stand for election for a fourth time in March 2027, with his opponents having until 18 November to find an alternative candidate.
Uefa has been contacted for comment. Insiders have suggested that if Fifa has nothing to hide, it should disclose the documents and speed up the legal process.