Uefa consider opening criminal proceedings against Gianni Infantino over World Cup sell-off plan
UEFA is preparing to file a criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino for alleged criminal mismanagement regarding a failed plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup. The legal filing claims the proposal was secretive and undervalued FIFA's assets to the detriment of its member associations.
Why it matters
This represents a major escalation in the governance conflict between European football authorities and FIFA, potentially leading to criminal proceedings against the head of world football.
Uefa is preparing to bring a criminal complaint against Gianni Infantino following the Fifa president's failed plan to sell off commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
A 56-page document, filed by Uefa's lawyers in a federal court in the United States and seen by The Independent , declares that Uefa are "preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino" for "criminal mismanagement" following Fifa's now scrapped Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal .
The filing states that Infantino's hastily drawn up plan to sell off a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private investors for $4.2bn represented an "an absurdly low enterprise value" and accused the Fifa president and others of standing to gain financially in a process that was "neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer".
Uefa is accusing Infantino of 'criminal mismanagement' (Reuters)
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