UEFA has confirmed it made a six-figure departure payment to a woman who, according to a Telegraph investigation, was in an extra-marital relationship with Gianni Infantino during his time as the governing body's general secretary.
That's the part UEFA can't deny — because they already have. "We can confirm 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," UEFA said in a statement. They insist both were in line with regulations at the time. Regulations, they add, that have since been "tightened."
Infantino was UEFA general secretary from October 2009 to February 2016 before becoming FIFA president. The Telegraph alleges he promoted the woman while the relationship was ongoing. FIFA's response was categorical: "Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory."
The political backdrop makes this messier
This didn't land in a vacuum. UEFA and FIFA are in the middle of one of their ugliest public spats in years — fighting over World Cup privatisation proposals, the Club World Cup, and commercial territory more broadly. UEFA threatened a full competition boycott after Infantino floated the idea of bringing private investment into the World Cup. He eventually walked it back, but UEFA has made clear the threat hasn't gone away.
The Norwegian Football Federation is now leading a push to force Infantino out before the March 2027 elections. Against that backdrop, a Telegraph exposé landing at this precise moment will fuel suspicion on all sides about who benefits from the story coming out now — regardless of what it contains.
What UEFA's own statement actually says
Read UEFA's words carefully. They don't say the payment was unrelated to the alleged relationship. They say it was within the rules. That's a meaningful distinction. Confirming a payment existed while declining to explain the specific circumstances of why it was made isn't exactly a clean bill of health — it's bureaucratic cover.
FIFA insists no complaint was ever raised against Infantino at either organisation. UEFA says its staff regulations now "reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation" — which is an interesting thing to say about what your regulations apparently didn't reflect before 2016.
USA TODAY Sports has contacted FIFA for further comment. So far, the statement denying everything is all they're offering.
