Fifa has alleged that Uefa launched a campaign to damage the organization and its leadership following president Gianni Infantino’s abandoned proposal to sell private investors a stake in World Cup commercial rights.
European football’s governing organization submitted legal papers in the United States last week, seeking access to evidence and documents from Fifa in connection with possible criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
The dispute intensified when Uefa accused Infantino of criminal mismanagement and claimed that the discontinued Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) project involved an improperly discounted valuation designed for his personal advantage.
Fifa has responded by filing documents with a US court and asking it to reject Uefa’s application by the end of the month.
According to Fifa, FFE never progressed beyond the proposal stage. The organization said the project could only have moved forward with backing from most member associations and the necessary approval from the Fifa Council.
In its court submission, Fifa argued that Uefa chose to issue a public statement instead of taking part in the democratic approval process, describing that action as the start of a prolonged effort to discredit Fifa and its leadership.
Fifa further alleged that Uefa had a financial incentive to stop smaller nations from gaining enough resources to challenge Europe’s leading football countries.
It maintained that strengthening football in developing regions would increase worldwide competition, potentially weakening Uefa’s commercial influence and creating stronger rivals for its major competitions.
Fifa also said the proposed funding would have helped its smaller member associations improve their domestic football systems. It argued that this could encourage more players to represent their countries of origin and compete in local leagues instead of moving abroad.
Uefa has additionally asked a New York court to authorize demands for testimony and documents from venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and his company, Thrive Eternal. Kushner, whose brother is related by marriage to US President Donald Trump, had been expected to serve as FFE’s principal investor.
Thrive discussed with Infantino a potential $4.2bn (£3.1bn) investment for a 20% holding in a newly created Fifa commercial subsidiary. The proposal was dropped shortly after becoming public in July, following widespread opposition.
Uefa has spearheaded resistance to the Fifa president, who is now facing demands to resign from three football confederations.
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