Fifa Boss Infantino Faces 90-Day Suspension

Fifa Boss Infantino Faces 90-Day Suspension

Fifa president Gianni Infantino will today be interviewed by the governing body’s Ethics Committee following allegations of breaches of its code of ethics.

Infantino, 45, is scheduled to meet ethics investigator Robert Torres as part of a preliminary probe into his conduct barely four and a half months after succeeding Sepp Blatter on the top job in football.

The Swiss-Italian lawyer, who recently confirmed a two-day working visit to Nigeria, could be provisionally suspended for 90 days to allow for a full investigation if there is sufficient evidence against him, Sports Vanguard writes.

His early travails follow a leaked internal Fifa memo outlining a series of claims relating to the Swiss’s expenses, recruitment practises and the alleged sacking of whistleblowers.

It will be recalled that the former Uefa general secretary was also named in the Panama Papers scandal earlier in the year following allegations of irregularities during his time at Europe’s football governing body.

According to Fifa, Infantino, who has categorically denied any wrongdoing, would willingly co-operate with any inquiry.

“The Fifa president has stated publicly he fully respects the independence and work of the ethics committee and that he would provide, if required, whatever information necessary to facilitate any potential review by the committee,” it said in a statement.

“The president has made clear that he had acted appropriately and in accordance with Fifa’s code of ethics.”

The early signs are good for the Fifa boss though as the legal counsel hired by Fifa to examine the claims on Thursday said he had no case to answer.