FIFA’s Scathing Rebuttal
In a fiery court response, FIFA lambasted UEFA’s legal application, accusing it of containing numerous false or misleading statements about the global body and its president, Gianni Infantino. The filing, seen by Reuters, left no room for ambiguity.
UEFA’s Baseless Allegations
FIFA dismissed UEFA’s insinuation that Infantino sought personal profit from the FFE proposal, declaring such suggestions “categorically without merit.” The governing body insisted no law or ethical principle was violated, calling the accusations groundless.
The Financial Dispute
Addressing the core monetary issue, FIFA charged UEFA with wilfully or ignorantly conflating equity value with enterprise value. This fundamental misunderstanding, FIFA argued, undermined UEFA’s entire case and misrepresented the proposal’s financial structure.
Ratification Requirement
FIFA further emphasized that the FFE proposal would have required comprehensive ratification from all 211 member associations. This procedural necessity, they argued, rendered UEFA’s claims of impropriety both premature and unfounded.
Political Timing Exposed
FIFA urged the US court to recognize the lawsuit’s suspicious timing—filed just before FIFA’s presidential election. They accused UEFA of spreading misinformation to sway the electoral process, calling it an overt attempt to influence the vote.
A Call to Reject
Concluding, FIFA asserted that the court should reject any attempt to interfere with the election based on these flawed grounds. The response underscored FIFA’s belief that UEFA’s application was a politically motivated tactic, not a legitimate legal action.
