FIFA has described legal applications filed by UEFA in U.S. courts seeking access to documents related to the governing body’s controversial private investment plan as part of a “smear campaign” against FIFA.
UEFA is seeking court-ordered discovery of evidence and documents linked to FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a private company that was envisioned as the vehicle for operating the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.
FIFA confirmed last month that the plan called for private investors to acquire a 20% stake in FFE. FIFA President Gianni Infantino abandoned the proposal on Aug. 1 following opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which represents football associations across North and Central America and the Caribbean.
That withdrawal has not stopped UEFA from pursuing Infantino and other FIFA officials, with UEFA saying the documents it obtained were intended for use in preparing potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland, according to filings seen by the Press Association on Aug. 27.
The following day, FIFA sought permission to oppose UEFA’s request in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The motion was granted by the court on the next business day, Aug. 31. FIFA has until Sept. 28 to submit a full opposition to the court.
A similar motion to oppose the request was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Documents from FIFA’s legal team seen by the Press Association described UEFA’s applications as being “little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership.”
FIFA’s filing asks the New York court to defer consideration of UEFA’s discovery application until the Florida court has ruled on it. Alternatively, FIFA requests that the court allow it to oppose UEFA’s application no later than Sept. 30.
The filing said UEFA’s motivation in opposing FFE and Infantino was “to prevent smaller countries from having the financial strength to compete with the European elite.”
It added: “If soccer is strengthened in the developing world, global competition increases, which ultimately reduces UEFA’s market power and provides more competition for its flagship tournaments.
“By raising funds to allow some of FIFA’s smaller member associations to better develop soccer, FFE would lead to more players from those nations choosing to represent their countries of origin and playing in their home leagues rather than playing abroad.
“All of this would erode UEFA’s dominance over other regions of the world.”
UEFA’s filing accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” in relation to FFE and said the proposed $4.2 billion sale of a stake in the company was “a fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit.”
In a separate statement published last week, UEFA called for an independent external review of the origins of FFE. It said that if Infantino chose to stand for re-election at next year’s FIFA Congress, UEFA would “join forces with its partner confederations to ensure that member associations are offered a credible alternative - one committed to integrity, accountability, development and genuine institutional change.”
