European football's governing body UEFA has confirmed to Al Jazeera that it has sent a preservation letter to FIFA, the sport's global governing body, following the collapse of Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private investors.
"We can confirm that a document preservation letter was sent," UEFA wrote in an email to Al Jazeera, adding that no further comment would be made at this time. The preservation letter, a formal legal document, serves to notify FIFA that they should retain data, documents, and electronic messages as potential evidence.
Infantino's secretive proposal to raise $4.2 billion from investors, including the New York investment firm of Joshua Kushner, was dropped early Saturday, days after the revelation provoked a global furore. UEFA led the backlash, and on Thursday its 55 member federations met and agreed to boycott all FIFA events and competitions while the proposal was active.
It is understood that UEFA has been considering legal action since FIFA's plans were revealed by Infantino. Preservation letters, also known as litigation hold letters, are sent in relation to potential or ongoing lawsuits. UEFA lawyers have extended their notice to FIFA, according to The Associated Press news agency, to inform them that the European body is "actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints … arising out of and in connection with the FFE (FIFA Forward Enterprise) plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters."
The letter, dated Friday but seen by AP late on Monday, was from the legal firm Dechert in New York. It named 18 FIFA executives, including Infantino; Zurich-based Chief Financial Officer Thomas Peyer; and Arsene Wenger, the coaching great who is FIFA's head of global football development. The letter warned that "any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice … may constitute spoliation of evidence."
The Swedish football federation confirmed Monday that UEFA is actively looking "to come up with an alternative candidate" for FIFA president. The next election is scheduled in March. On Saturday, UEFA signalled it wants to end Infantino's decade-long presidency, saying he had lost the confidence of world football and that "no option should be off the table."
Hours earlier, Infantino had withdrawn the divisive proposal that offered FIFA's 211 member federations one-off payments of $20 million each with a mid-September deadline to accept. The FFE spin-off, valued by FIFA at $20 billion, would have taken control of the football body's money-making commercial and tournament operations through at least 2038.
It was the project of just one man, FIFA's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said in a stinging statement Friday, adding that staff felt deceived by their boss, Infantino. Legal proceedings are "reasonably anticipated," UEFA's lawyer Andrew J. Levander wrote, citing the belief of football stakeholders that the plan was "fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football."
UEFA has been most outspoken against its former employee Infantino, while the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF also made strong statements to oppose the plan. Infantino has most support from his traditional base in Africa, while South America's CONMEBOL is relying on him to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams from 48.
Infantino's path to stabilising the presidency he has held for 10.5 years was unclear on Monday, which began in New York with a report he was seeking support from the administration of his close ally, US President Donald Trump, possibly in a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, a State Department official denied any planned call.
The private equity plan has provoked a stunning turnaround in fortunes for Infantino since it was revealed last Tuesday by The Times in London. The 56-year-old FIFA leader left New York after the World Cup final two weeks ago seemingly a lock to be re-elected unopposed next March for a fourth and final term in office through 2031. Now, those support letters are likely being withdrawn across Europe, with the Wales federation the first to announce its reversal. The candidate deadline is November 18 for an election exactly four months later in Morocco, one of Infantino's strongest allies and a cohost of the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal.
Source: www.aljazeera.com