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Europe’s top governing body for professional soccer has just initiated legal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over his globally panned plan to sell stakes in one of the world’s most powerful sporting organizations.
Last month, FIFA, technically a nonprofit under Swiss law, floated a deal that would allow outside investors to purchase stakes in soccer’s governing body as if it were a publicly traded company, and Miami man Joshua Kushner was at the center of it. The fallout was as widespread as it was immediate, with continental soccer bodies in Asia, Europe, and North America all voicing stalwart opposition.
Now, ESPN reports that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) filed notices today in a Manhattan court indicating that it’s preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino over the failed $20 billion project. The court filings weren’t immediately available in federal court record searches Thursday morning, though ESPN journalists have reportedly viewed the 60-page document after UEFA delivered it to FIFA’s North American headquarters in Coral Gables.
“Infantino is facing accusations of ‘fraudulently’ offering the stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) without due process and consultation with the FIFA hierarchy,” according to ESPN. “All of the above have been ordered to provide all documentation and communication relating to the controversial FFE sell-off plan. UEFA is now considering criminal proceedings in Switzerland — FIFA’s main headquarters is in Nyon, Switzerland — following a review of available evidence.”
How did Miami end up at the center of FIFA’s sell-off scandal?
The drama began about a month ago when Infantino made the surprise announcement that FIFA planned to sell stakes to raise money to grow the sport in underrepresented areas of the world. At the time, FIFA announced the prime target buyer for the project was none other than Miami resident and Ivanka Trump in-law Joshua Kushner.
FIFA name-dropped Kushner’s holding company Thrive Eternal as the primary buyer in the press release.
Critics immediately argued the implementation would veer the sport toward the whims of the world’s elite and siphon power away from the working-class people who represent the overwhelming majority of soccer fans.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.
