Fifa has accused Uefa of waging a “smear campaign” against the governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino, in a legal response filed in the Southern District of New York challenging Uefa’s ongoing legal action related to a controversial privatisation venture, reports BritPanorama.
Uefa has indicated it may pursue criminal proceedings against Infantino in Switzerland, where Fifa is headquartered, and is seeking to remove him from office either by resignation or at the presidential elections set for March. In response, Fifa dismissed Uefa’s court applications as little more than glorified press releases.
The statement from Fifa’s legal team notes: “While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership.” They argue that Uefa’s application contains a “fundamental defect,” claiming that it seeks discovery for a foreign criminal proceeding that does not exist and that Uefa lacks the authority to initiate.
Fifa’s filing describes Uefa’s legal actions as baseless, insisting that the proposal in question would have required formal endorsement by both member associations and the ruling council before moving forward. The document centres on Uefa’s purported economic motivations, suggesting that its objective was to inhibit smaller associations from gaining the financial strength to compete with Europe’s elite teams.
Further, Fifa argued that investing in the development of soccer in smaller nations would foster global competition, thus diminishing Uefa’s market power and providing broader competition for its prestigious tournaments. The filing reflects Fifa’s perspective that enhancing soccer in developing regions can lead to a more even playing field globally.
As this rivalry unfolds, it underscores not just a battle for governance but a significant shift in the dynamics of international football, highlighting the growing tension between major governing bodies amid changing economic landscapes.
