FIFA hits back at UEFA: Infantino's lawyers accuse European body of 'harassment'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino

FIFA lawyers have accused UEFA of harassing president Gianni Infantino and urged a Florida judge to reject the European soccer body's request for evidence related to a proposed private investment plan involving the 2026 World Cup, news agency Assocuated Press reported.In a 21-page filing submitted late Monday (local time) to the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, FIFA lawyers said UEFA was wrong to suggest that Infantino sought to personally profit from the project, which caused a backlash in July before being dropped within days.

UEFA has since asked three courts, including courts in Manhattan and Miami, to authorize discovery as it seeks information to help prepare a possible criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland over alleged financial mismanagement.

One of the requests targets Josh Kushner's New York-based investment firm, while another relates to FIFA's office base in Miami.“UEFA’s conduct demonstrates that its (court filing) was made in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment,” FIFA lawyers said in the filing.The filing also pointed to the Nov. 18 deadline for candidates to enter the FIFA presidential election, which will be held in March in Morocco. Infantino is seeking a fourth and final term that would keep him in office through 2031.

“This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA’s presidential election based on these grounds,” FIFA lawyers wrote.

What is the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan?

UEFA led the backlash against the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which was proposed by Infantino. The plan involved creating a new FIFA subsidiary and selling at least 20% of FIFA's future commercial rights for $4.2 billion to a group of investors led by Josh Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.UEFA said in court filings last month that the proposed valuation was a “fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit.” The claim came amid speculation that Infantino could take a CEO-like role at the new subsidiary with a salary higher than his current $6 million presidential pay package.

FIFA lawyers rejected that suggestion, saying UEFA “falsely asserts that Mr. Infantino sought to have a personal financial interest in the FFE project.”The plan was first reported by the media on July 28. It led to criticism from FIFA's then-chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who was later removed from his position. Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner, also resigned in protest, saying the deal was bad for soccer.Infantino later apologised for errors in the way the plan was handled and offered to open an independent external review of FIFA's governance.FIFA has maintained that the proposed commercial spinoff was intended to accelerate the development of soccer around the world, particularly outside Europe's wealthier football markets.