Uefa has given Fifa a two-week deadline to release key documents relating to Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan and other governance issues in its latest devastating critique of the world governing body. A letter sent to Fifa’s general secretary, Mattias Grafström, by his counterpart at Uefa, Theodore Theodoridis, is accompanied by an eight-page document that includes more than 50 questions about Fifa’s handling of dozens of controversial issues over the past 12 months. These include the proposed sale of 20% of its commercial rights, the Folarin Balogun affair, the peace prize and relations with Donald Trump and the arrangements for next year’s Fifa presidential election.
Uefa’s document also makes a number of allegations about potential conflicts of interests at Fifa, as well as repeating calls for a “genuinely independent” governance review. Uefa’s latest intervention follows last week’s meeting of the Fifa council in Zurich, the first time it had gathered since the emergence of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) controversy in July. Infantino listened to questions on FFE and other matters but declined to provide substantive answers, instead asking council members to submit them in writing before their next meeting in Doha on 16 December.
In a letter sent on Monday, Theodoridis rejected this approach as unsatisfactory and demanded answers, as well as the release of documents, by 2 November. Any refusal to disclose information or documents should be justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon. They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the Fifa Council – nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them.” The accompanying document and list of supplementary questions constitutes a damning takedown of Fifa’s leadership under Infantino, who as it stands is on course to be re-elected unopposed as president next year, although Uefa is increasingly hopeful of identifying a candidate to take him on before nominations close on 18 November.
In addition to demanding more detail on FFE, Balogun and Trump, Uefa also wants answers on the processes behind other major decisions taken by Fifa over the past 12 months including moving the men’s World Cup draw to Washington DC from Las Vegas, the introduction of hydration breaks and the 27-minute half-time at the World Cup final. The amount Fifa is paying to rent office space in Trump Tower is also queried, as is a report in the Times last week that Infantino in 2024 “received substantial additional remuneration which was not disclosed in Fifa’s annual report”. Fifa has said it “does not pay a second salary to the Fifa president and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation”.
Uefa also raises concerns about March’s presidential election, specifically regarding the involvement of Bruno Chiomento, the chair of Fifa’s electoral committee. Fifa has been contacted for comment.
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