KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: The pressure on Gianni Infantino has been ramped up further after European federation UEFA threatened legal action over the discredited plan to slice away FIFA’s major tournaments into a $20bn commercial subsidiary and sell a 20pc stake to private investors.

UEFA has written directly to Infantino – and, it is understand, other associated operators – notifying him that it is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints”.

Infantino scrapped the proposal after condemnation from the worldwide game including other major regional confederations.

UEFA’s cautionary letter, dated Friday July 31 and addressed to Infantino at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, has warned him and the world federation to “identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information” relating to the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise. 

It added: “UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice – or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated – may constitute spoliation of evidence.

“UEFA reserves all rights to seek appropriate remedies in the proceedings for any such destruction or loss, including applications for adverse inference orders, sanctions, and costs against the responsible party or parties.”

The Football Association of Wales has become the first European federation to formally withdraw its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

More are expected to follow.

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