European football’s governing body, UEFA, is preparing possible criminal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over a controversial attempt to sell a stake in World Cup commercial assets to private investors, according to Sky News.
The planned legal action would be brought in Switzerland, where FIFA is headquartered, and represents a major escalation in UEFA’s growing opposition to the proposed World Cup commercial venture.
Legal documents seen by Sky News reveal that UEFA has already taken steps to obtain documents relating to the scheme, including issuing subpoenas to FIFA and financial institutions involved in the proposed transaction in the United States.
In one of the documents, UEFA said it and other interested parties were preparing to bring criminal claims against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, relating to alleged criminal mismanagement.
The proposed claims concern what UEFA described as the secretive structuring, valuation, financing and marketing of the transaction.
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UEFA alleges that the venture caused direct and concrete harm to FIFA’s reputation, governance authority and commercial relationships, potentially affecting FIFA’s 211 member associations, including UEFA’s 55 members.
The latest development deepens an increasingly public dispute between UEFA and Infantino over plans to create a new commercial structure around the World Cup.
UEFA has previously opposed the proposed arrangement, with European football officials raising concerns about the potential transfer of control or economic benefits from some of FIFA’s most valuable commercial assets to private investors.
According to the legal document cited by Sky News, UEFA alleges that the proposed vehicle was designed to allow Infantino and a small group around him to obtain a permanent stake in, and potentially profit from, FIFA’s most valuable assets.
The application was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against JP Morgan and proposed lead investor Thrive Capital, whose chief executive, Joshua Kushner, is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US president Donald Trump.
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UEFA’s legal challenge in the United States is part of a wider effort to investigate the proposed transaction and gather information that could support potential proceedings in Switzerland.
The dispute adds another layer of pressure on Infantino, who has faced growing opposition from several European football associations over the direction of FIFA under his leadership.
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