In Zurich, FIFA moved to rebut fresh claims surrounding Gianni Infantino after The Times issued corrections and an apology over a report concerning the world governing body’s president. The response, published on Wednesday 21 October, brought a rare note of relief for FIFA amid continuing scrutiny of its administration.
Key takeaways
- The Times withdrew its assertion that Infantino was receiving an undisclosed additional FIFA salary.
- Expenses and reimbursements paid to the FIFA president did not have to appear as compensation under Swiss reporting requirements.
- The newspaper also corrected a claim involving a Miami property and Shadi LLC.
- FIFA said Infantino and his family neither own nor control Shadi LLC.
- The governing body argued that some parties are pursuing a continuing effort to weaken FIFA and its president.
Corrections over pay and Miami property
The disputed report had been published on 13 October and alleged that Infantino received a second payment from FIFA that had not been declared. The subsequent apology accepted that this was wrong, stating that there had been no separate salary.
It further clarified that Swiss disclosure rules do not classify Infantino’s expenses and reimbursements as remuneration, meaning FIFA was not required to list them in its annual report as compensation.
The apology also addressed allegations about real estate in Miami. It acknowledged that Infantino had not bought a property there below its true market value, as had previously been reported.
In addition, the statement accepted that neither Infantino nor members of his family are the legal or beneficial owners of Shadi LLC, and that they do not exercise control over the company. The newspaper said it was making the corrections and apologising to both Infantino and FIFA for the errors.
FIFA calls for more careful reporting
FIFA used the episode to restate its position on media coverage of the organisation. It said it welcomes legitimate examination, but maintained that scrutiny cannot justify the repetition of allegations that are inaccurate, misleading or entirely untrue.
The governing body said it would continue to contest such reporting firmly and directly. It also repeated an argument made in August: that certain actors appear to be engaged in a coordinated and sustained attempt to undermine FIFA and its current president.
FIFA urged media organisations to handle claims responsibly and to check sources thoroughly before publishing material that could prove false or defamatory and then be repeated elsewhere.
