IOC rejects FairSquare complaint against FIFA president Infantino

The International Olympic Committee has rejected a complaint by the human rights NGO FairSquare against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over alleged breaches of political neutrality rules, an IOC spokesperson said Friday.

FairSquare alleged that Infantino had repeatedly breached IOC rules on political neutrality by offering political support for US President Donald Trump.

The IOC spokesperson said the IOC Ethics Commission had examined the complaint and found that, under the Olympic Charter, each international federation keeps its independence and autonomy in its governance. The spokesperson said the complaint was outside the Ethics Commission's jurisdiction.

IOC members, including Infantino, take an oath requiring them to act independently of commercial and political interests. That obligation is also included in the Olympic Charter.

The IOC had also dismissed an earlier controversy in February over Infantino's attendance at the first meeting of a Board of Peace convened by Trump. Infantino wore a red cap marked with "USA" and "45-47", a reference to Trump's two terms in office.

At the time, an IOC spokesperson said the IOC had been in contact with FIFA and understood that FIFA was supporting a sport recovery investment programme in Gaza, Palestine, through football, including sporting infrastructure, education and elite development proposals. The spokesperson said this was in keeping with the role of an international sport federation, and said the IOC, through Olympic Solidarity, had supported and continued to support sport development in the region.

FIFA awarded Trump its first peace prize in December. Infantino said then that the prize recognised what he called Trump's "exceptional and extraordinary" actions to promote peace and unity around the world.

During the World Cup in North America, Trump said he had called Infantino before FIFA lifted a suspension imposed on US striker Folarin Balogun after a red card.