UEFA has provisionally suspended its threatened boycott of FIFA competitions while collecting evidence for a possible criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
European football’s governing body filed applications in United States federal courts seeking documents and testimony connected to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
The information would potentially be used in Switzerland, where UEFA says it is preparing criminal claims against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisers for alleged criminal mismanagement.
Infantino has not been charged with an offence, and UEFA’s allegations have not been tested or proven in court.
The dispute concerns a proposal to transfer commercial rights connected to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary. Private investors would have paid approximately $4.2 billion for a 20 per cent interest, producing an implied valuation of around $20 billion.
UEFA alleges that the proposal was developed without properly consulting the FIFA Council, regional confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations. Its court filings also claim the valuation was not produced through an open auction or examined by an independent valuer.
Infantino previously described the project as a “golden opportunity” to increase football development funding. He maintained that it remained only a proposal and would have required approval from FIFA’s Council and member associations.
The plan was withdrawn on 31 July after UEFA’s 55 associations threatened to remove their teams from FIFA competitions. UEFA has now received written assurances that the project has been permanently abandoned, allowing the threatened boycott to be provisionally suspended.
European teams will therefore continue entering FIFA tournaments while their governing body gathers documents for possible proceedings against the person running them.
UEFA has requested evidence from FIFA entities based in Florida and from organisations connected to the proposed investment. Any resulting criminal complaint would be submitted to the Swiss authorities, who would determine whether further action was justified.
The legal process could consequently involve evidence gathered in the United States, allegations filed in Switzerland and football competitions taking place everywhere else as normal.
Relations inside the football family have improved sufficiently for nobody to boycott the World Cup.
They have not improved sufficiently for UEFA to stop preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA’s president.
