LONDON, Sept 29 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- FIFA has launched an attack on European football body UEFA, accusing it of running a “misinformation campaign” to scupper Gianni Infantino’s World Cup private investor proposal, reported PA Media/dpa.
A legal filing on FIFA’s behalf in the US courts said it would have been a “dereliction of duty” if Infantino had not explored the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which he ultimately was forced to abandon after the plan was rejected by UEFA, along with the two other continental confederations.
The filing, seen by the Press Association, was made in the District Court of South Florida, where FIFA is opposing a motion by UEFA for the disclosure of documents related to FFE.
The claim rejects any suggestion that Infantino stood to gain personally from FFE, adding that the proposal would have needed ratification from FIFA’s 211 member national associations as well as the FIFA Council.
UEFA is accused of making the application “for the purposes of harassment, rather than out of any legitimate need for discovery. That alone is an independent basis for denial”.
Arguably the most damaging claim made by European football’s governing body in its original application is that FFE was given a “fraudulently off-market” valuation of US$20 billion.
FIFA has now countered by saying UEFA has conflated equity value with enterprise value. It said the enterprise value was “more than twice” that of the equity value.
“UEFA would have learned all of this had it bothered to verify its assertions before publicly decrying the proposal or filing in federal court,” the FIFA filing said.
UEFA has stated it has lost confidence in Infantino despite the abandonment of FFE, and that it is seeking to put up a credible alternative candidate to stand against him in next year’s presidential election.
FIFA’s filing questions the timing of UEFA’s legal application, noting that the deadline for submitting candidates is November 18.
“This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA’s presidential election based on these grounds,” the filings stated.
UEFA has been approached for comment by PA.
-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa