Uefa has confirmed a “departure payment” was made to a female employee who is alleged to have been in a relationship with Gianni Infantino while he was the organisation’s general secretary, allegations Fifa has dismissed as “categorically untrue”.
Infantino, who is married with four children, is also rumoured to have promoted the junior employee to a management role during the affair. As well as the pay-off, UEFA's payment for the woman's MBA course at a business school are said to have totalled around £45,000 per year in fees.
In a statement, Uefa confirmed a payment was made along with covering the fees for an MBA course, which it said was “in line” with regulations at the time. A spokesman for Uefa said: “We are aware of the allegations and can confirm a departure payment was made to the individual in question, coupled with the payment of fees for an MBA course at a local business school. “The payment was in line with the regulations that existed for departing staff at the time. “Such regulations have been tightened since 2016 and the current staff regulations – which apply to all Uefa employees at whatever level – reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation.”
Infantino has since moved to deny the allegations, with a FIFA spokesperson branding them 'categorically untrue'.
Reporting: The Independent, talkSPORT, The Guardian, RTÉ.