FIFA has issued a strong defence of its president Gianni Infantino, rejecting criticism of the organisation and allegations relating to his previous tenure at UEFA.
In an official statement, football’s global governing body alleged that some of its critics were engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine both FIFA and its president through allegations and misinformation rather than its established governance procedures.
FIFA said individuals who lacked the support of its member associations should not attempt to achieve through “allegation, insinuation or misinformation” what they could not accomplish through the organisation’s democratic processes.
The governing body said it accepted legitimate scrutiny of its activities and leadership but argued that such scrutiny should remain grounded in established facts.
“FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny,” the organisation said, while warning against presenting unsubstantiated allegations or speculation as fact.
The statement comes amid mounting criticism of Infantino and FIFA’s organisational policies, as well as media reports concerning his time at UEFA.
FIFA maintained that criticism should not be used to distort facts or create what it described as distractions intended to undermine the organisation’s progress.