FIFA accuses UEFA of a “smear campaign” over Infantino’s World Cup plan | soccer

UEFA seeks US certification and documents for possible legal action; FIFA is asking the US court to postpone UEFA’s request or allow it to oppose it.

FIFA has accused European soccer’s governing body UEFA of waging a “smear campaign” and “fishing campaign” after UEFA asked US judges to force FIFA to hand over documents relating to its failed World Cup investment plan.

FIFA, the world football body Divisional plan The deal to sell stakes in the World Cup to investors, revealed in July, sparked a major backlash across the sport, with UEFA threatening to boycott the World Cup unless the plan was scrapped.

While FIFA is fast Plans aborted In response to the backlash, UEFA is now preparing to take potential legal action against FIFA president Gianni Infantino for alleged “criminal mismanagement”.

Last week, requests were filed in three US states seeking to disclose documents related to the plan from FIFA and its partners, including Thrive Capital, a subsidiary of potential lead investor Joshua Kushner.

If it succeeds in accessing the documents, UEFA said it intends to file a legal complaint in Switzerland, saying it was certain the case would meet the requirements to be considered in a Swiss court.

But FIFA responded and asked the American judges for permission to appeal UEFA’s requests.

“While these requests are structured as legal submissions with comments and docket numbers, they are nothing more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” FIFA’s filings say.

The files say UEFA has no right to request internal documents from FIFA because there are no criminal proceedings yet in Switzerland or elsewhere.

Even if such measures were in place, UEFA would have no legal standing because it did not suffer any financial loss, the filings say.

The FIFA filings also accuse UEFA of illegally bypassing Swiss courts but applying directly to US courts.

The filings say that disclosing the documents, including correspondence involving Infantino and other named FIFA employees and consultants, “would directly threaten FIFA’s interests and reveal sensitive and proprietary information.”

UEFA did not hide its desire to dismiss Infantino, who was hoping to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term next March after the very successful World Cup.

UEFA was perhaps the harshest critic – it described its proposal as a “suspicious and opaque behind-the-scenes deal” – but it found strong support from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is widely seen as Infantino’s most likely rival – and UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out.

The three continental federations continued to press and cooperated in a joint letter issued on August 10.

“Leadership in football is not a takeover. It is not about holding or claiming power,” they wrote.

UEFA added: “FIFA must once again be run as an institution that serves football, and not as an instrument of individual power.”

FIFA has repeatedly disputed these allegations.

“This request is another step in UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” sums up a FIFA filing.