Infantino denies claims Uefa paid off alleged 'lover'

What the report says

Gianni Infantino has denied claims reported by the Daily Telegraph that Uefa paid a severance sum to a woman described as his alleged lover while he was the organisation’s general secretary. According to BBC Sport’s report, a spokesman for the Fifa president said the allegations were “categorically untrue,” while also rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing or breaches of rules. BBC Sport said it contacted Fifa and Infantino for comment.

Uefa confirmed that a departure payment was made to the individual named in the investigation, and said the payment also covered fees for her to complete an MBA course at a business school. The European governing body said the arrangement was compliant with the regulations in force at the time, though it added that those rules have since been tightened to better match the standards expected of a modern sports body.

The allegations come at a sensitive moment for Infantino, who is already under pressure over his aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. He has apologised for errors in that proposal but remained in post after receiving backing from senior football officials at a meeting in Morocco. The reporting adds to broader scrutiny of his leadership and the governance of Fifa, where he has served as president since 2016.