FIFA hits back at UEFA as legal dispute escalates

15:00

By: Azzat Manal

FIFA hits back at UEFA as legal dispute escalates

World football’s governing body FIFA has accused UEFA of pursuing a campaign aimed at damaging the reputation of its leadership, as a growing legal dispute between the two organizations moves through U.S. courts.

According to The Athletic, FIFA has filed a memorandum with American courts seeking the rejection of UEFA requests for confidential documents and information related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

In its submission, FIFA characterized UEFA’s legal actions as an attempt to discredit its leadership by circulating what it described as false or misleading information. The response comes as UEFA intensifies its legal scrutiny of the global governing body and its leadership.

UEFA has brought a series of cases before three U.S. courts in an effort to obtain confidential information connected to the FFE project. The European governing body has also reportedly left open the possibility of pursuing criminal proceedings in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other senior officials.

The dispute reached another level on August 27, when UEFA publicly declared that it had lost confidence in Infantino and called for a change in the leadership of world football.

At the center of the conflict is FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial structure that would have involved the creation of a FIFA subsidiary valued at around $20 billion. Under the plan, 25% of the company could have been offered to external investors, with the aim of generating additional revenue from the commercial rights associated with the FIFA World Cup.

The proposal triggered strong opposition within European football. UEFA’s 55 national associations announced plans to boycott FIFA competitions in protest, increasing pressure on the international governing body.

FIFA ultimately abandoned the FFE plan, but tensions between the two organizations have continued to intensify. The dispute now reflects a broader confrontation over governance, commercial strategy and the direction of international football, with legal proceedings potentially adding further pressure to an already strained relationship.