FIFA has accused the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) of harassment in a legal dispute over a proposed private investment plan that triggered controversy within world football.
FIFA lawyers made the allegation in a 21-page filing submitted to a federal court in Florida, urging a judge to reject UEFA’s request to obtain evidence relating to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
The filing, submitted late Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and seen by the Associated Press, disputed UEFA’s suggestion that FIFA President Gianni Infantino sought to personally benefit from the proposed investment arrangement.
UEFA has sought authorisation to conduct evidence discovery in three courts, including proceedings in Manhattan involving Josh Kushner’s New York-based investment firm and in Miami, where FIFA has an office.
The European governing body has said the information could assist in preparing a potential criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland concerning alleged financial mismanagement.
FIFA’s lawyers, however, argued that UEFA’s actions were inappropriate.
“UEFA’s conduct demonstrates that its (court filing) was made in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment,” the lawyers said in the filing.
The dispute comes ahead of FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco. The deadline for potential candidates to enter the contest is November 18, with Infantino expected to seek another term that would run until 2031.
FIFA’s legal team argued that the court should not allow the proceedings to influence the presidential election.
The FFE proposal had envisaged the creation of a FIFA subsidiary and the sale of at least 20 per cent of FIFA’s future commercial rights for $4.2 billion to a group of investors led by Kushner.
UEFA strongly opposed the plan and subsequently sought access to documents concerning the proposed transaction.
In earlier court filings, UEFA questioned the valuation of the proposed deal and raised concerns about whether Infantino could have benefited personally from the project.
FIFA has rejected those suggestions, with its lawyers saying UEFA had “falsely” claimed that Infantino sought a personal financial interest in the FFE project.
The proposed deal became public on July 28 following media reports and triggered criticism within FIFA. The organisation’s then-chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, criticised Infantino’s handling of the project and was subsequently removed from his position.
Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino and former Goldman Sachs partner, also resigned, citing concerns about the proposed arrangement.
Infantino later apologised for what he described as shortcomings in the handling of the project and offered to establish an independent external review of FIFA’s governance.
FIFA has maintained that the proposed commercial restructuring was intended to generate additional resources for football development globally, particularly in regions outside Europe.
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