UEFA preparing criminal proceedings against FIFA president Infantino

UEFA is considering launching criminal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in an audacious attempt to oust him from power.

The scandal in the wake of Infantino's failed attempt to sell shares in FIFA tournaments to external investors has faded in recent weeks. But legal documents filed in the United States shows that UEFA has now stepped up their efforts to topple Infantino.

UEFA is subpoenaing FIFA and the financial institutions involved in the failed plot in an attempt to obtain documents. European football's governing body then plans to launch legal action in Switzerland - the home of FIFA.

As reported by Sky News, the document states: "UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code and such further or alternative charges as the developed factual record may support, arising out of the secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing of a transaction that inflicted direct and concrete injury on FIFA's reputation, governance authority, and commercial relationships to the detriment of FIFA as well as its 211 members, including UEFA's 55 member associations."

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As well as Infantino, the application in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is against JP Morgan Bank, planned lead investor Thrive Capital and its CEO, Joshua Kushner.

The legal document alleges: "It was a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from FIFA's most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family."

The news comes just a day after UEFA dropped its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments. European football's governing body feels its two conditions have been met, namely that FIFA drops the idea of selling off stakes in its tournaments and that they receive assurances it doesn't happen again.

UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin have been leading the campaign against Infantino this summer. The body's 55 member associations are due to meet on Thursday ahead of the Champions League draw in Monaco, where the situation will be discussed further.

UEFA have received support from Confederation for North America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). However, Infantino has managed to claw back support from elsewhere.

African Football Confederation (CAF) and Confederation for South America (Conmebol) have thrown their support behind the Swiss bureaucrat, who will go for re-election next year.

If UEFA fail to oust Infantino, then they will have to support a rival candidate in the FIFA elections next year. "Things are changing every day. Every day, there are different discussions. I didn't speak with him. But there are two options," Ceferin said on The Rest is Politics.

"One option is that he realises that he doesn't have the support, and that's not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.