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Fri, Sep

Sports

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has strongly denied allegations that UEFA made a six-figure payment to a woman who was allegedly involved in a relationship with him during his time as the organisation’s general secretary.

According to a Daily Telegraph investigation, the woman received a departure payment from UEFA after her alleged relationship with Infantino. Infantino, who is married, has categorically denied the allegations and rejected any suggestion of inappropriate conduct.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory.”

The spokesperson also said that no employee at UEFA or FIFA had ever filed a complaint concerning Infantino’s behaviour, adding that there had been no incident involving him.

UEFA confirmed that a departure payment had been made to the woman but said it was not a payoff. The organisation explained that the payment included costs associated with her completing an MBA at a local business school.

UEFA said all payments were made in accordance with the regulations in place at the time. However, it acknowledged that its rules have since been strengthened and now reflect the standards expected of a modern, high-profile organisation.

Infantino served as UEFA’s general secretary from 2009 to 2016 before becoming FIFA president. The allegations come at a politically sensitive period for Infantino, as he faces scrutiny over his leadership and previously proposed plans to attract private investment into World Cup-related assets.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is approaching a crucial crossroads in his career, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both emerging as potential destinations if he decides to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The 30-year-old has entered the final year of his contract with City and has yet to agree to an extension. While the Premier League champions remain confident he will stay, growing interest from Spain has intensified speculation over his future.

Real Madrid have admired Rodri for several years, but Barcelona have now entered the race. Sources close to the Catalan club claim the midfielder has given his approval for them to begin discussions with Manchester City. Although no agreement is in place, it represents a significant step if Barcelona decide to pursue a transfer.

Rodri's recent seasons have been disrupted by injury. He missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after suffering a serious knee injury and later dealt with a hamstring problem. However, he reminded everyone of his quality during the summer by captaining Spain to World Cup success and earning the tournament's Player of the Tournament award.

Earlier this season, Rodri indicated that any decision regarding his future would be made after the World Cup. He is currently recovering from back surgery and has not yet joined Manchester City's squad on their pre-season tour of Asia.

Once he returns, he will have three clear options: sign a new long-term contract with City, remain until his current deal expires and leave as a free agent next summer, or seek a move back to Spain before the transfer window closes.

Manchester City have consistently stated that they expect Rodri to remain at the club and would only consider a sale if a substantial offer were made.

A move to Barcelona would reunite Rodri with several Spain teammates, including Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Pedri. On the other hand, joining Real Madrid would see him link up again with former City teammate Bernardo Silva, who reportedly arrived at the Spanish giants on a free transfer this summer under returning manager José Mourinho.

If Rodri chooses Barcelona, his arrival may not receive universal approval. The midfielder previously represented Atlético Madrid, while comments he made in the past about Real Madrid being "one of the best clubs in the world" could make his reception among Barça supporters an interesting one.

Should Manchester City lose Rodri, replacing one of the world's finest midfielders would be a major challenge. Since arriving in 2019, he has helped the club win four Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups, becoming the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola's midfield.

City would likely look to Mateo Kovačić, Nico González or Tijjani Reijnders to fill the void, while club-record signing Elliot Anderson is expected to play an important role. The club also remain interested in Lille teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi, although asking the 18-year-old to replace a player of Rodri's stature would be a considerable task.

For now, Rodri's future remains uncertain, but with Barcelona and Real Madrid monitoring his situation and Manchester City determined to keep him, one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer could soon unfold.

UEFA has confirmed two major rule changes that will be introduced across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League from the 2026/27 season, revising the yellow-card suspension system and introducing a running match clock.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, players will now serve a one-match suspension only after collecting four yellow cards during the league phase, replacing the previous three-card threshold.

Under the updated disciplinary rules, further suspensions will still apply as players accumulate additional bookings, including after five and seven yellow cards. UEFA says the adjustment is intended to reduce the number of players missing important fixtures for relatively minor disciplinary offences while continuing to punish persistent infringements.

The governing body has also ended its long-standing practice of freezing stadium scoreboards and television match clocks at 45 and 90 minutes. Beginning with the 2026/27 campaign, the match clock will continue running throughout stoppage time, showing the actual elapsed time until the referee signals the end of each half. For example, the display could read 93:14 instead of remaining fixed at 90:00.

UEFA believes the running clock will provide greater transparency for supporters, broadcasters and analysts. However, the referee will retain full authority over the amount of added time played.

The new regulations will take effect from the Champions League play-off round on 19 and 20 August, when the final eight teams will secure places in the competition's 36-team league phase.

Although UEFA has not publicly detailed the reasoning behind the running clock, reports suggest the move is aimed at aligning with modern broadcasting standards and recent developments in world football.

The changes have sparked mixed reactions across the football community. While some managers have welcomed the relaxed yellow-card suspension threshold, others remain cautious about the impact the running clock could have on the perception and management of stoppage time.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed pressure after the president of the Jordan Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, accused FIFA of attempting to pressure his organisation into supporting Infantino's re-election.
In a post on X, Prince Ali claimed FIFA had suggested that backing Infantino would help resolve several outstanding issues affecting Jordanian football, including the recovery of money the JFA says it is owed. He described the alleged approach as "blackmail" and insisted Jordan would not change its position.
Prince Ali, who ran against Sepp Blatter in the 2015 FIFA presidential election and against Infantino in 2016, also criticised FIFA over a number of issues linked to this summer's World Cup. These included visa difficulties faced by Jordanian supporters travelling to the United States, high ticket prices, and significant tax costs incurred because Jordan's team was based in the U.S. rather than Canada or Mexico.
He also said the JFA is still waiting to receive prize money from last year's FIFA-organised Arab Cup, despite FIFA's strong financial position.
"It is clear the problem really is with leadership," Prince Ali wrote. "For months, FIFA refused to help us on these matters until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that endorsing Infantino would go a long way toward helping our FA. We pride ourselves on upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now."
The allegations come at a time when Infantino is facing increasing opposition from several football governing bodies. Europe, along with countries in North and Central America and the Caribbean, is reportedly moving away from supporting his leadership, while Africa, South America and Oceania are expected to remain largely supportive.
Tensions escalated following FIFA's proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new company that would oversee the commercial and operational management of FIFA competitions. The proposal included plans to sell a 20 per cent stake to private investors, prompting strong opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.
Following widespread criticism and threats of a boycott from UEFA, FIFA abandoned the proposal. However, UEFA has said it has lost confidence in Infantino and is considering legal action, while several national associations, including England and Wales, have withdrawn their support for him.
Meanwhile, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has publicly backed Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness as a potential successor to Infantino. Blatter said the time had come for FIFA to be led by a woman, praising Klaveness for consistently taking principled positions on governance issues, including criticism of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and Saudi Arabia's selection as host of the 2034 tournament.
Klaveness has led the Norwegian

Gianni Infantino will continue as FIFA president after receiving the unanimous support of the organization's senior management board during a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday.

The meeting was called in response to growing criticism over Infantino's failed proposal to transfer parts of FIFA's commercial and event operations to private investors through the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative.

UEFA had recently expressed its loss of confidence in Infantino, describing the proposal as an "opaque" and "back-room" deal. Opposition also emerged from within FIFA, including Secretary General Mattias Grafström, who described the situation in an internal memo as "a sad and reproachable series of events."

Despite the backlash, the management board, together with Grafström, released a statement after the meeting reaffirming its full support for Infantino's leadership, confirming that he will remain FIFA president.

Under-pressure FIFA president Gianni Infantino is set to hold a crisis meeting with senior staff in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday as questions over his future continue to intensify.

Senior FIFA officials have been summoned to the meeting following growing backlash over Infantino's now-abandoned proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company that would have overseen the commercial and operational management of FIFA's tournaments.

The emergency talks are expected to be highly charged, with uncertainty surrounding Infantino's next move. One possibility is that he acknowledges the growing opposition, accepts that his position has become untenable and resigns. The alternative is that he vows to stay on, insisting he still has strong backing from member associations, particularly in South America, Africa and Asia.

As a seasoned football politician, Infantino is likely aware of the shifting mood within FIFA. The key question is whether he believes he can rebuild support or whether the pressure has become too great to withstand.

Critics argue the controversy stems from more than a single misstep. They claim plans to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup had been developed over a prolonged period with a small group of close advisers, making the backlash far more damaging than an isolated error of judgment.

Several figures familiar with FIFA's internal politics now believe Infantino faces an uphill battle to remain in office, although his future will ultimately depend on whether he can retain the confidence of FIFA's member associations.

Sepp Blatter wants first female FIFA president to replace Infantino

However, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for FIFA to appoint its first female president, backing Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness as the ideal successor to current president Gianni Infantino.
In a post on X, Blatter praised Klaveness for her independence and leadership, writing: “Lise Klaveness deserves the utmost respect. She was the only one who always took a clear stand and did not go along with the mainstream. And at FIFA, the time is right for a woman to take the lead.”
Klaveness has led the Norwegian Football Federation for the past four years, following careers as both an international footballer and a lawyer. During her tenure, she has earned a reputation for taking principled positions on major issues affecting the game, even when those views left Norway isolated among FIFA’s member associations.
She publicly criticised Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup while attending the FIFA Congress in Doha and has also questioned the process that awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, Norway was among only a small number of FIFA’s 211 member associations that declined to sign letters supporting Infantino’s expected re-election in 2027.
Blatter served as FIFA president from 1998 until his resignation in 2015 amid a corruption scandal that rocked world football. Although he was cleared of personal corruption charges by a Swiss tribunal last August, his endorsement of Klaveness is likely to reignite debate over FIFA’s future leadership and the prospect of its first female president.

FIFA's head of global football development, Arsène Wenger, has said the decision to drop plans for private investment in FIFA competitions was the correct one.

The proposal, introduced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, would have created a commercial company to manage major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. Outside investors would have been able to buy stakes in the new business. Reports said FIFA's 211 member associations were each offered $40 million (£30 million) in exchange for supporting the plan.

The proposal attracted strong criticism, with UEFA's 55 member associations reportedly threatening to boycott FIFA competitions if it moved forward. In response to the growing backlash, FIFA withdrew the proposal.

Wenger, who has overseen FIFA's football development programmes since 2019, said he was not involved in creating the plan and only learned about it through media reports. In a statement, he stressed that FIFA should remain independent and operate with transparency, integrity and a commitment to serving the game.

The former Arsenal manager has previously supported some of Infantino's ideas, including holding the men's World Cup every two years. However, he made clear that he believed abandoning the investment proposal was the only appropriate course of action.

The article also notes that Wenger was among 18 FIFA officials named in a UEFA document preservation letter linked to potential legal action. Meanwhile, Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned over the proposal, calling it "a bad deal for football" that would "mortgage football's future."

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