FIFA clears Gianni Infantino of any wrongdoing

A statement released by FIFA's Ethics Committee on Friday said that it had decided to conclude its proceedings against Gianni Infantino after completing both preliminary and formal investigations on related to flights he had taken on private jets, as well as his hiring practices.

"It was found that no violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE) had been committed by Mr Infantino. The adjudicatory chamber took note of and accepted the decision of the investigatory chamber," a statement released by the Ethics Committee said.

"In particular, no relevant situations involving conflicts of interest related to Mr Infantino's position as FIFA President were identified, and the benefits enjoyed by Mr Infantino were not considered improper in the light of applicable FIFA rules and regulations," the statement added.

Investigatory chamber member Vanessa Allard, who led the formal investigation, found that Infantino's hiring practices and refusal to sign a contract specifying his employment relationship with FIFA amounted to "internal compliance issues rather than an ethical matter."

In a brief statement issued minutes later, Infantino, who was elected to world football's top job just this past February, said that he was "pleased" that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing following a "thorough review."

Months of turmoil

This comes at a time when FIFA has been in turmoil after a number of its officials were indicted on corruption charges in the United States last years, including members of its former Executive Committee. It has also been forced to launch investigations into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

Infantino's predecessor, Sepp Blatter was banned by FIFA's Ethics Committee, while former UEFA President Michel Platini, who had once been seen as the favorite to replace Blatter, is serving a four-year suspension from all football-related activities.