European football's governing body UEFA is preparing to bring criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over the attempt to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors, according to legal filings obtained by Sky News.
The revelation is contained in legal documents, with UEFA subpoenaing FIFA and the financial institutions involved in the United States to obtain documents related to the scheme.
But the planned legal action would be launched in Switzerland, where FIFA has its main headquarters.
It is a significant move by UEFA in its bid to go beyond trying to oust Infantino from power over the attempt to privatise part of the World Cup.
A legal document seen by Sky News said: "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."
The application was lodged by UEFA in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against JP Morgan Bank as well as planned lead investor Thrive Capital and its CEO, Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
UEFA is targeting FIFA through courts in Miami, where the world body's legal team is based.
