The SPIEGEL revelations about FIFA President Gianni Infantino could have legal consequences for a Swiss prosecutor. The Valais prosecutor now investigates the allegations against Rinaldo Arnold, who has received several gifts from Infantino and vice versa. This is proven by the Football Leaks documents.
An extraordinary prosecutor is "charged with determining the facts and the clarification of any criminal relevance," the authority said. It applies the presumption of innocence, writes the prosecutor. Further information did not make it. So for the time being remains open who will lead the investigation and until when it should be completed.
The documents prove that Arnold von Infantino has accepted exclusive invitations, including to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2016 to Mexico for the Fifa Congress. "I would like to thank you again for the invitation to Mexico, it was interesting and exciting," wrote Arnold to Infantino in May 2016. In return, Arnold Infantino had been helpful in legal issues, so he had threaded a meeting with the federal prosecutor.
Infantino himself has firmly rejected the allegations made against him during the Football Leaks revelations. He had "nothing illegal and nothing that violates the statutes done," said the Swiss on Wednesday in a conversation with several news agencies. Parts of the criticism and reporting of the past days are "misleading and unfair". "When it comes to FIFA, there are no illegal activities." During his tenure, "not a single Franke has disappeared".
"Obviously, this threat exists"
SPIEGEL had extensively reported on Infantino last Friday and quoted from the Football Leaks documents. Two of the main allegations: The 48-year-old is said to have been secretly involved in softening the FIFA Code of Ethics. In addition, in his role as General Secretary of the European Football Union (UEFA) in 2014, Infantino is said to have helped the Manchester City and Paris St. Germain clubs to very lenient punishments for their breaches of the rules of Financial Fair Play (FFP).
"The regulations clearly state that settlement agreements are part of the whole process," Infantino said referring to the FFP case, "and who is responsible for the negotiations and discussions - the UEFA administration."
Football Leaks at SPIEGEL +
REUTERS / New Pool / Benedikt Rugar / THE MIRROR FOOTBALL LeaksThe betrayal
PA / Benedikt Rugar / DER SPIEGELFootball LeaksHow Fifa boss Infantino subdues football
Alex Livesey / Getty Images / Benedict Rugar / THE MIRROR FOOTBALL LeaksThe pact with the sheikhs
The Swiss stressed that since the beginning of his term in February 2016 he has had to deal with sturgeon fires. "We knew from the beginning that it would not be easy in this environment," said Infantino. "Some people may not like the fact that the son of Italian immigrants is now FIFA President, by setting a woman from Africa, a Muslim , as Secretary General. "
The FIFA President has also warned Europe's top clubs about the creation of a Super League and believes it is possible to exclude players from these clubs from World Cup tournaments. "Obviously, this threat exists," said Infantiono. "I think those responsible at the end of the day are pretty reasonable before they split off completely."
The SPIEGEL had cited documents from the platform Fooball Leaks on plans for a Real Madrid forced separation of various top clubs from the UEFA Champions League reported. The FC Bayern München, which is to belong to the group of top teams, had subsequently stressed that no plans of this kind to pursue and to affiliation to the Bundesliga known.
A Bundesliga without Bayern Munich could not imagine even Infantino, he said and postponed the threat that players who were in the club of a Super League under contract, could be excluded from World Cup tournaments.
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The SPIEGEL team on the football leaks
- Rafael Bushman
- Jürgen Dahlkamp
- Gunter Laces
- Andreas Meyhoff
- Nicola Naber
- Jörg Schmitt
- Alfred Weinzierl
- Robin will
- Christoph Winterbach
- Michael Wulzinger
In cooperation with De Standard, Expresso, L'Espresso, Le Soir, Mediapart, Nacional, NRC Handelsblad, Politiken, The Black Sea, NDR, Premieres Lignes, Reuters, Verdens Gang, Tamedia