FIFA hits out at UEFA over Infantino plan: “Disinformation” | OneFootball

FIFA raised tensions with UEFA by accusing it of orchestrating a “disinformation campaign” to damage Gianni Infantino amid the dispute over the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise project and the organization’s upcoming presidential elections.

The battle between FIFA and UEFA has reached U.S. courts. In a filing submitted to a federal court in Florida, FIFA responded to UEFA’s request for documents and testimony related to the project that sought to bring private investment into the commercial rights of the World Cups and other competitions run by the organization.

The project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), was abandoned after sparking strong opposition within international football. Now, the dispute has moved into the legal arena and threatens to further increase tensions between the two bodies.

FIFA accuses UEFA of a disinformation campaign

In its filing, FIFA rejected the allegations made by UEFA and described its arguments as false or misleading.

The body led by Infantino argues that UEFA is using the legal process for other purposes and accuses its European rival of trying to influence the run-up to FIFA’s presidential elections.

FIFA also denied that Infantino could personally benefit from the deal and argued that the project would have been subject to approval by the organization’s relevant governing bodies.

According to the documents submitted, the transaction would have required authorization from both the FIFA Council and its 211 member associations, in addition to being subject to internal oversight mechanisms.

The point of conflict: a $20 billion valuation

One of the main disagreements between the two sides is related to FFE’s valuation.

UEFA has questioned the project’s estimated valuation of approximately $20 billion, arguing that the figure did not adequately reflect the value of FIFA’s commercial rights.

FIFA responded that UEFA may be confusing two different financial concepts: equity value and enterprise value. According to the international body, the $20 billion referred to the initial equity valuation, while the enterprise value would have been more than $30 billion.

The proposal involved private investors taking a stake in FIFA competitions’ future commercial revenue. The project was ultimately withdrawn after opposition emerged from various confederations and federations.

The dispute also reaches FIFA elections

The court filing comes at a particularly sensitive time for Infantino, who is seeking to remain at the head of FIFA.

The documents submitted by the organization itself question the timing chosen by UEFA to launch its legal action and argue that the process may have a dimension linked to the presidential election.

UEFA, for its part, has said it has lost confidence in Infantino and has sought alternatives to challenge for the presidency. In addition, its legal actions are tied to the possibility of filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland related to the handling of the FFE project.

The war between FIFA and UEFA keeps escalating

The conflict is no longer limited to the failed investment project. In recent weeks, both organizations have been involved in several clashes over the governance of world football, the distribution of resources, and the role of confederations in FIFA’s decision-making.

Infantino even recently proposed an external and independent review of FIFA’s governance processes following the pressure generated by the FFE case.

Now, the confrontation has reached U.S. courts, as FIFA tries to block UEFA’s request for documents and argues that the accusations against Infantino are baseless.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.