UEFA paid off alleged mistress of Gianni Infantino, report claims

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under renewed pressure after a report claimed he had a relationship with a junior employee while serving as UEFA’s general secretary and that the European football body later paid her a substantial exit package.

The Telegraph investigation alleges the affair occurred during Infantino’s tenure at UEFA, where he held the top administrative post from 2009 until his election as FIFA president in 2016.

According to sources cited by The Telegraph, the woman held an administrative role when the alleged relationship began.

She was subsequently promoted to a managerial position with a reported salary increase of around 30 per cent, reaching approximately 160,000 Swiss francs.

After concerns were raised, she left UEFA and received a six-figure departure payment.

The organisation is also said to have covered fees for an MBA course at a business school.

Former UEFA president Michel Platini is reported to have confronted Infantino over the matter.

One source told The Telegraph: “He made a huge mistake and it almost cost him his career. People [within UEFA] were telling Platini, ‘You have to fire him.’”

Another insider said Platini issued an ultimatum along the lines of “she or you,” after which it was agreed the woman would leave with a payoff.

Infantino is also alleged to have helped her secure a subsequent job in a related field.

UEFA has confirmed a payment was made.

In a statement, the organisation said: “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 an MBA course at a local business school. The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time.”

It added that rules have since been tightened to reflect standards expected in a modern, high-profile organisation.

FIFA strongly rejected the claims.

A spokesman told The Telegraph: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory. No employee at UEFA and FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino’s behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved.”

The statement said that all staff-related actions, including departure packages, followed applicable regulations and required proper approvals.

The allegations arrive as Infantino already faces significant challenges to his leadership.

He recently abandoned controversial plans to create a commercial subsidiary that would have sold stakes linked to the World Cup and other competitions after fierce opposition from UEFA and others.

UEFA has declared a loss of confidence in him.

Infantino, who is married with four children, received backing from FIFA’s senior executives in a recent crisis meeting but continues to navigate calls for his resignation from various quarters.

The woman has not been named by The Telegraph.

The latest claims add a personal dimension to the growing scrutiny of Infantino’s long career in football governance, which began at UEFA in 2000 before his rise to the FIFA presidency.

Both organisations and Infantino’s representatives maintain that the historical payment followed the rules then in force.