UEFA is preparing to initiate criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding his effort to sell World Cup shares to private investors.
The information appears in legal filings, with UEFA issuing subpoenas to FIFA and the financial institutions involved in the United States to obtain documents related to the alleged scheme.
However, the intended legal action would be filed in Switzerland, where FIFA maintains its headquarters.
This represents a significant escalation by UEFA in its effort to remove Infantino from power over the attempt to privatize a portion of the World Cup.
A legal document reviewed by Sky News stated: “UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, and such further or alternative charges as the developing factual record may support, arising from the secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing of a transaction that caused direct and concrete harm to FIFA’s reputation, governance authority, and commercial relationships, to the detriment of FIFA and its 211 members, including UEFA’s 55 member associations.”
The application was filed by UEFA in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against JP Morgan Bank as well as the planned lead investor Thrive Capital and its CEO, Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner.
UEFA is pursuing FIFA through courts in Miami, where the world body’s legal team is based.
