{"text":[[{"start":6.48,"text":"Fifa has accused Uefa of pursuing a “smear campaign” against global football’s governing body and its president, as it told a New York court it would oppose requests for documents related to a failed investment deal."}],[{"start":18.86,"text":"In July, Fifa president Gianni Infantino spearheaded a plan to create a commercial entity, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise, which would have housed revenue related to the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments."}],[{"start":30.86,"text":"He also planned to sell a stake worth $4bn in it to Thrive, a US investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, but was forced to drop the scheme after a backlash from across the game. Since then Uefa, which runs the game in Europe, has been pushing to oust Infantino from his position."}],[{"start":47.92,"text":"Last week Uefa asked courts in Florida, Colorado and New York to permit discovery of documents related to FFE from parties including JPMorgan, Thrive, Kushner and Fifa, as part of a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland, where both Fifa and Uefa are based."}],[{"start":64,"text":"However, Fifa’s lawyers said in a filing in New York that while these requests were “styled as legal pleadings”, they were really “little more than press releases in further support of Uefa’s smear campaign against Fifa and its leadership”."}],[{"start":77.48,"text":"The filing added that “Uefa seeks discovery in aid of a foreign criminal proceeding that does not exist and that Uefa admittedly lacks the authority to initiate”."}],[{"start":86.36,"text":"As a result of this “fundamental defect” in Uefa’s applications, Fifa asked the Southern District of New York to allow Fifa to oppose Uefa’s request. A Florida court granted Fifa permission to oppose a similar request for documents on Monday."}],[{"start":99.92,"text":"Fifa also cited Uefa’s “economic motivation” for opposing the FFE plan, saying it wanted to “prevent smaller countries from having the financial strength to compete with the European elite”."}],[{"start":110.64,"text":"A power struggle between Uefa and Fifa, the two most powerful bodies in football, has rumbled on for many years."}],[{"start":115.36,"text":"But the failed investment plan opened up deeper divisions across global football, with Uefa’s counterparts in Asia and in North America, Central America and the Caribbean joining it in opposition."}],[{"start":128.36,"text":"Infantino, who has run Fifa since 2016, is seeking re-election in March next year and has been seeking to shore up support from member associations. Potential rivals must declare their candidacies by November."}],[{"start":141.48,"text":"After a meeting of executives last week, Uefa said it would “pursue every available institutional, political and legal avenue necessary to secure fundamental reform, restore proper limits on presidential authority and ensure that Fifa is once again governed as an institution — not around one individual”."}],[{"start":164.27,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1788486605_8714.mp3"}