Uefa Confirms Departure Payment to Former Employee Linked to Infantino
Uefa has confirmed it paid a “departure payment” to a former female employee who is alleged to have had a relationship with Gianni Infantino during his time as the organisation’s general secretary, deepening the scrutiny around the current Fifa president.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the woman received a six-figure settlement after leaving Uefa, linked to the alleged relationship with Infantino. In its response, Uefa did not address the nature of their association, but it did confirm both the payout and the funding of her MBA studies.
In a statement, the European governing body said it had covered fees for an MBA course at a local business school and that the overall package complied with staff rules at the time.
“We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for a MBA course at a local business school,” a Uefa spokesperson said. “The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.
“Such regulations have been tightened since 2016 and the current staff regulations – which apply to all UEFA employees at whatever level – reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation.”
From Nyon to Zurich, the timing is striking. The story breaks just as Infantino is already under sustained pressure over his controversial push to bring private investors into a new company that would control Fifa competitions, including both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Infantino spent 16 years at Uefa, serving as general secretary from 2009 until his election as Fifa president in February 2016. Those years now sit under a harsher light, with questions about governance and internal culture circling around European football’s old headquarters as well as its current global one.
Infantino’s camp has hit back hard. A spokesman for the Fifa president told the Telegraph that he “strongly denies these categorically untrue allegations”. The Press Association has also requested comment from Fifa.
The off-field storm comes on top of a growing political fight over the future of the World Cup. Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in a new commercial vehicle to private investors has already been rejected by Uefa and two other continental confederations. The backlash has been fierce, not just over the proposal itself but over how it was driven forward.
On Wednesday, in Morocco, Fifa’s management board closed ranks around its president. After a meeting there, Infantino received formal backing from the board and issued an apology over the handling of the process. The mea culpa has done little to cool tempers in Europe.
Uefa’s threat remains the most explosive weapon on the table. It has warned that its 55 member associations could boycott Fifa competitions unless the investment plan is scrapped. When Fifa’s leadership tried to draw a line under the row this week, Uefa shot back on Thursday, insisting that the latest announcement “changes nothing”.
The governing bodies are locked in a standoff that reaches far beyond a single commercial project or a single employment settlement. At stake is who really calls the shots in world football – and how much trust remains between Zurich and the most powerful bloc in the game.
