Infantino faces allegations of abuse of power.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has faced sharp criticism since withdrawing his proposal to open the door to private investments in late July, is accused of abusing his power during his tenure at UEFA, according to the British newspaper "Telegraph."

According to the newspaper, Infantino, who served as UEFA's Secretary General from 2009 to 2016, used his influence to ensure the promotion of a UEFA employee with whom he had a romantic relationship.

The "Telegraph" published its report on Friday evening, while the football official categorically denied these allegations. A spokesperson for FIFA had not responded to an inquiry from Agence France-Presse by Saturday.

The British newspaper reported, without disclosing its sources, that the employee, after being promoted for a period at UEFA, received a "six-figure compensation" approved by Infantino upon her departure from the organization in a year not specified by the newspaper, in addition to the federation covering tuition fees of around 50,000 euros for attending a business school.

In response to an inquiry from Agence France-Presse, UEFA acknowledged that a "financial payment" was made at that time, along with covering the costs of studying for a Master's degree in Business Administration at a local business school.

UEFA emphasized that "this payment was in accordance with the rules in place at the time for employees leaving the organization," adding that those "rules" have been tightened since 2016.

The European federation added that the current employee regulations "reflect those followed in a modern and leading organization."

The "Telegraph" quoted a spokesperson for FIFA stating that Infantino strongly rejects these "allegations," describing them as "categorically false."

The spokesperson added: "Any suggestion of inappropriate behavior or violation of rules or regulations is defamatory," stressing that "no employee at UEFA or FIFA has ever filed a complaint regarding Mr. Infantino's conduct, as no incident related to him has occurred."

Infantino, who is running for a new term in March, is facing a growing crisis since the controversial proposal aimed at opening FIFA to private sector investors was revealed in late July, before being abandoned later.

Infantino faces criticism, particularly from UEFA, which renewed its threat on Thursday to boycott World Cup tournaments, considering that merely withdrawing the controversial project does not represent a sufficient solution.