Uefa sets Fifa 2 November deadline for written answers on governance questions

Uefa has asked Fifa to provide written answers and supporting documents on its governance and decision-making by 2 November. That is a deadline of about two weeks.

The request came in a letter from Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis. It came with an eight-page document of questions. These cover the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) investment plan, the Fifa Peace Prize and the case of USA striker Folarin Balogun.

Fifa Council members first raised the questions at a council meeting last week. Fifa president Gianni Infantino asked for them in writing. At that meeting, he did not give a full or substantive explanation of how the FFE proposal was devised.

The letter says any refusal to disclose information should be justified individually. "These questions require answers now," Theodoridis wrote, according to BBC Sport. "They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the Fifa Council."

Candidates have until 18 November to confirm they will stand against Infantino in next year's presidential election. The Guardian reports the vote is due in March. It also reports that Infantino is on course to be re-elected unopposed.

Both BBC Sport and The Guardian contacted Fifa for comment. Neither report includes a Fifa response to the letter.

What else is reported

According to The Guardian, the letter was sent on Monday to Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafström. The FFE plan involved the proposed sale of 20% of Fifa's commercial rights. BBC Sport reports the scheme has been abandoned, and that Infantino apologised for it at Thursday's meeting.

According to BBC Sport, the questions ask why Thrive Capital, a company linked to Joshua Kushner, was chosen as lead investor without competitive tendering. They also ask who decided that Donald Trump should receive the Fifa Peace Prize. The Guardian reports further questions on Infantino's pay, Fifa's office rent in Trump Tower and the election arrangements.

BBC Sport, citing unnamed sources, reports that Fifa's ability to answer some questions is limited by legal action Uefa filed in the US last month.

What is disputed

The reports give different counts of the questions. BBC Sport reports 42. The Guardian reports more than 50, plus supplementary questions.

What each side says

Uefa says Fifa's explanations "have not begun satisfactorily to address a number of fundamental questions", according to The Guardian. Uefa alleges, citing several sources, that Infantino told management board members that US authorities were investigating Fifa's administration. The reports do not establish whether any such investigation exists.

Responding to a report in The Times on Infantino's pay, Fifa said it "does not pay a second salary to the Fifa president and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation", according to The Guardian.

BBC Sport quoted Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, a Fifa vice-president, as saying: "if he doesn't answer those questions, he's not fit to be Fifa president".

Analysis

The deadline falls about two weeks before candidate nominations close. This could make Fifa's response relevant to the presidential race. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not say what Uefa will do if the deadline is missed. Several outcomes are possible. Fifa could answer in full or in part. It could cite Uefa's US legal action as a reason to withhold some information. It could also wait for its council meeting in Doha on 16 December. Each path may shape how member associations view the questions raised. No reported candidate has yet emerged to challenge Infantino.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.