Infantino under FIFA investigation

FIFA’s Ethics Committee are investigating FIFA President Gianni Infantino for his role when UEFA granted a loan to the Slovenian FA in 2015. UEFA did not follow protocol when they granted the Slovenian FA a loan to buy shares in the betting company Sportna Loterija. By Pål Ødegård, Håvard Melnæs og Andreas Selliaas Two weeks ago Josimar in collaboration with Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet reported that UEFA gave a loan of 4 million euro to the Slovenian FA (NZS), who spent most of the amount (3.6 million euro) on acquiring shares in the betting company Sportna Loterija. Several sources Josimar talked to said such a loan had to be used specifically for football matters. Regarding loans given to member associations, UEFA are operating with strict guidelines. It is the decision of the Finance Committee which loans are granted and which loans are not. In this instance, the Finance Committee was sidestepped. The loan was instead approved and signed by the then UEFA President Michel Platini, the then Secretary General Gianni Infantino and Vice President Marios Lefkaritis, Finance Director Josef Koller and the then Deputy Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis (now the Secretary General). The loan approval also contradicted Article 25 in FIFA’s Code of Ethics, which states that; “Persons bound by this Code shall be forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with, betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transactions connected with football matches. They are forbidden from having stakes, either actively or passively, in companies, concerns, organisations, etc. that promote, broker, arrange or conduct ...