Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino was on Thursday potentially facing a legal suit brought by UEFA accusing him of “criminal mismanagement” over his now-shelved plan to bring private financing into the World Cup.
But, the 56-year-old Swiss chief of world football’s governing body gained some respite when UEFA also announced later on Thursday that they were withdrawing, “on a provisional basis”, their threat to boycott FIFA tournaments.
That will be music to the ears of Poland, who are hosting next month’s women’s Under-20 World Cup.
However, the nuclear option of a boycott — widely seen as pivotal in forcing Infantino into his humiliating climbdown just days after launching the proposal last month — remains.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, said after a meeting of the continent’s member associations in Monaco that it had “agreed to suspend, on a provisional basis, the withdrawal by European teams from FIFA competitions in the coming season”.
“This position will remain under constant review and may be reconsidered immediately if circumstances so require.”
The provisional suspension may be a relief for Infantino — whom UEFA have urged to resign — but the threat of a legal suit will leave a far sourer taste.
“UEFA is actively considering legal action arising out of and in connection with the… plan proposed by FIFA,” read the legal document, seen by AFP, to be filed in a court in Florida in the United States.
The document is a request for permission to gather evidence for a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland, where both UEFA and world football’s governing body FIFA are based.
“More specifically, UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code,” it continues.
‘Serving Football’
UEFA laid out a long list of documents they wanted access to, pertaining to the background of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan.
These include a meeting that was held at a hotel in New York City on the eve of the World Cup final last month and which several senior FIFA directors attended where they were, according to the New York Times, apprised of the plan.
According to the newspaper, of the five directors present, two refused to sign off on it — one of them was chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who has since left FIFA.
If successful in gaining access to the documents, UEFA intend to lodge the complaint in Switzerland and said they had been assured it met the requirements to be heard in a Swiss court.
“On information and belief, Infantino’s actions described herein rise to the level of criminal mismanagement,” UEFA said.
Infantino had been hoping for a smooth ride to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term next March in Rabat after a highly successful World Cup.
However, within days Infantino had used up all his credit with his folie de grandeur.
UEFA may have been the harshest critics — they described his proposal as a “shady, opaque backroom deal” — but they found solid support from CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
CONCACAF’S president Victor Montagliani is widely seen as the likeliest challenger to Infantino — UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out.
The three confederations have kept up the pressure and collaborated on a no-holds-barred joint letter issued earlier this month.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” they wrote.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederations added.
Infantino is not without friends — 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia came out in support on Thursday, with African football’s governing body CAF and South America’s CONMEBOL supportive.
However, UEFA remain unabashed in their determination for his 10-year reign to come to an end, signing off with a flourish in Thursday’s statement over the suspension of the boycott.
“FIFA must once again be governed as an institution serving football –- not operate as an instrument of individual power.”
AFP
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