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FIFA have filed legal documents accusing UEFA of coordinating a smear campaign against president Gianni Infantino.

World football’s governing body has responded aggressively to recent legal threats by alleging that its European counterpart orchestrated a coordinated attempt to damage its image. The acrimonious legal dispute is centred on the controversial, and now shelved, multi-billion-dollar investment proposal that has triggered a major political split between the two organisations and their respective presidents.

Legal battle intensifies over investment plan

FIFA have accused UEFA of mounting a smear campaign against both the organisation and Gianni Infantino after threats of criminal proceedings against the president. According to a report by The Athletic, the row began after UEFA filed a legal document in the United States on August 28.

European football’s governing body alleged that Infantino was pushing a “fraudulently off-market price for his own benefit” in relation to the sale of a 20 per cent stake in FIFA’s commercial operations for $4.2 billion (£3.1bn). The proposal, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, would have involved American investment fund Thrive Eternal acquiring a significant stake in global competitions.

FIFA hit back at allegations

In response to UEFA’s filing, FIFA submitted a motion to intervene in New York on Tuesday and asked for the application to be challenged. In that legal response, FIFA sharply criticised Aleksander Ceferin and UEFA. “While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” the filing said. FIFA also argued that UEFA opposed the FFE plan only to stop smaller nations from gaining financial power and challenging Europe’s elite.

Power struggle for global dominance

The growing dispute underlines a serious political divide between the two governing bodies. FIFA allege that UEFA’s real economic reason for blocking the investment was to preserve its global market dominance. The filing stated: “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.” FIFA also said that UEFA do not have the authority to launch the criminal proceedings they threatened in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Joshua Kushner, whose investment fund was involved in the proposal, issued a statement on Monday saying they “failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football”.

What next for the governing bodies?

FIFA and UEFA are now preparing for a lengthy legal confrontation in courts in the United States. With the FFE proposal now officially abandoned, attention will turn to how a judge deals with disclosure requests involving Infantino and the American investors. The fierce rivalry between Infantino and Ceferin is expected to shape the political landscape as both organisations get ready for upcoming international tournaments.