Anyone who viewed Uefa’s decision to abandon a proposed boycott of Fifa competitions as a retreat from efforts to remove Gianni Infantino as Fifa president was quickly proved wrong.
In a dramatic development that eclipsed one of the most important dates in Europe’s football calendar, as federation officials and club executives assembled in Monte Carlo for the Champions League draw, Uefa said it was preparing a legal complaint in Switzerland accusing Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” over his involvement in the failed plan to sell a stake in World Cup-related revenues.
By allowing European teams to participate in next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup and October’s senior Women’s World Cup qualifiers, Uefa eased the immediate pressure on Fifa in one area while sharply escalating the dispute in another.
The opening stage of the legal action involves seeking the disclosure of documents in the United States connected to the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. In a 56-page filing submitted to three US courts, Uefa described the proposed enterprise valuation of about $20bn (£14.7bn) as “absurdly low”.
After Infantino withdrew the FFE proposal four days after it became public but refused to resign, Uefa intensified its examination of the valuation. If completed, the deal would have allowed Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital to acquire 21% of Fifa’s future revenue indefinitely for $4.2bn.
Uefa subsequently commissioned an independent assessment of FFE because of concerns that one of football’s most valuable commercial assets was being sold too cheaply. Those doubts grew because Fifa’s presentation reportedly contained no explanation of the valuation method or evidence that a competitive bidding process had taken place.
One source who challenged the valuation said investigators needed to determine whether the World Cup business was being offered at a heavily discounted price. The proposed criminal complaint is the next logical stage of that investigation.
Even a preliminary review appeared to support Uefa’s concerns. Fifa generated $15bn during the four-year cycle that ended with this summer’s World Cup, prompting market analysts to argue that a $20bn valuation was too low, particularly because the proposal apparently placed no restrictions on expansion or the introduction of additional competitions.
Kushner’s later acquisition of the LA Lakers alongside former Disney chief Bob Iger for $12.5bn strengthened Uefa’s belief that Infantino had offered Thrive Capital unusually favorable terms. Uefa was also concerned that Infantino could take a highly paid position worth tens of millions of pounds annually as FFE chair after leaving the Fifa presidency, which he intends to do in 2031 if he secures one final term.
Infantino’s determination to remain in office further encouraged Uefa to act. During a campaign-style appearance at a Caribbean Football Union meeting in the Dominican Republic, he unexpectedly approved several funding projects.
Uefa turned to the courts after repeated requests for Fifa to release relevant records were unsuccessful. It filed applications in New York, Florida and Colorado to secure documents that could later support a request for criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
Alongside its attempt to bring legal action against Infantino in his adopted country, Uefa is working to persuade Fifa members to support an effort to remove him in March’s presidential election.
Despite Uefa’s public confidence that Infantino’s presidency is nearing its end, senior officials within the organization and among its Concacaf allies have privately acknowledged difficulty persuading member associations outside Europe to oppose him.
Several national football associations have privately suggested that they would need evidence of criminal conduct, or at least proof that Infantino stood to benefit personally from the FFE arrangement, before withdrawing their support.
Fifa’s history explains concerns that the campaign to remove Infantino could lose momentum. Although the governing body presents itself as a democracy based on one vote for each member, power has remained highly concentrated. Elections take place every four years, yet only three permanent presidents have held office during the past 52 years. The last incumbent defeated in an election was England’s Sir Stanley Rous in 1974.
Rous was defeated by Brazil’s João Havelange, who resigned after 24 years in office and was later found by a Fifa ethics committee to have accepted bribes connected to the sale of media rights. His successor, Sepp Blatter, stepped down after winning five elections while an FBI investigation was under way in 2015. That inquiry has produced more than 20 criminal convictions in the United States and may result in further cases.
Those hoping Swiss authorities will intervene and prosecute Infantino may need to moderate their expectations. Switzerland’s authorities have historically faced criticism for failing to confront corruption within Fifa, leaving investigators from the United States to uncover and pursue much of the misconduct.
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