UEFA Examines Allegations of Payment to Gianni Infantino's Alleged Mistress
UEFA has acknowledged it is examining an allegation that European football’s governing body paid off an alleged mistress of Gianni Infantino during his time in Nyon.
According to a report in The Telegraph, a woman said to have been in a relationship with Infantino while he served as UEFA’s general secretary received a six-figure sum after leaving the organisation. The report states that UEFA covered the cost of her MBA at a local business school as part of the package.
The claim cuts straight to the heart of football’s political establishment: Infantino left UEFA in 2016 to become FIFA president, stepping into a role still scarred by the fallout from the Sepp Blatter era. Now, questions are being asked about how money was handled on his watch in Europe’s corridors of power.
FIFA moved quickly to reject the story. In a statement to The Telegraph, a FIFA spokesperson said Infantino “strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue,” calling any suggestion of inappropriate conduct or breach of rules “defamatory”.
The governing body stressed that no member of staff at either UEFA or FIFA had ever filed a complaint about Infantino’s behaviour, insisting “there never was an incident where he was involved”. It added that all decisions on staff matters, including departures and severance deals, had been signed off by the relevant directors and made “in accordance with all applicable regulations”.
UEFA, contacted separately by Sky Sports News, did not dispute that a payment had been made. Instead, it framed the issue as one of procedure, not scandal.
In its statement, UEFA confirmed “a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for an MBA course at a local business school”. It underlined that the deal complied with the staff rules in place at the time.
Those rules, UEFA pointed out, no longer exist in the same form. The organisation said its regulations on staff departures were tightened after 2016 and that the current framework, which applies “to all UEFA employees at whatever level”, is designed to mirror those of a “modern, high-profile organisation”.
The timeline matters
Infantino joined UEFA in 2000 and climbed through the ranks before becoming general secretary, the most powerful administrative role beneath the presidency. He remained there until 2016, when he successfully ran for the top job at FIFA.
Now, as FIFA’s president faces fresh scrutiny, UEFA’s past practices are being dragged back under the spotlight. The governing bodies insist the payments were legitimate, properly authorised, and in line with the rules of the day.
The allegation, though, will not disappear quickly. UEFA has confirmed its awareness of the claims. FIFA has been contacted for further comment by Sky Sports News.
In a sport still trying to convince the world it has turned a page on its governance scandals, the next answers will have to be very clear.
