FIFA President Gianni Infantino has "violated" the world football governing body’s code of ethics by trying to influence the election of the next UEFA president, a report by Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant claimed, according to Jamie Rainbow of WORLD SOCCER. Last May, according to De Volkskrant, Infantino sent an "advisor" to a meeting of the northern European FAs in Milan to "tell them to vote for Aleksander Ceferin" as the next UEFA president. FIFA’s code of ethics states that employees shall "remain politically neutral" in dealings with associations. Infantino’s message was delivered by his Norwegian advisor Kjetil Siem, "who earlier that month had been appointed by Infantino as a strategic director" of FIFA. Some of the FA leaders attending the meeting "were shocked by his message." Nevertheless, several days later, four of the associations -- Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland -- "confirmed they would support Ceferin." FIFA has "denied any wrongdoing, arguing that Siem travelled not as an emissin," his capacity as secretary-general of the Norwegian FA. A FIFA statement said, "Kjetil Siem was not sent on behalf of the FIFA President to Milan. At the time of the meeting, he was still an employee of the Norwegian Football Association" (WORLD SOCCER, 7/20).
