FIFA has sharply criticized what it called a "coordinated and sustained effort" to undermine the world football organization and its president, Gianni Infantino.
FIFA's statement comes after a report by the Telegraph alleges that Infantino's alleged girlfriend was paid a termination payment by UEFA after Infantino had an affair while he was UEFA's general secretary.
FIFA has slammed "unfounded claims and patently false allegations", adding that "speculation and innuendo should not be presented as fact".
Infantino has come under increasing pressure from UEFA and European national football federations over a plan to sell World Cup shares, which has since collapsed.
UEFA has said it has lost confidence in Infantino, while the president of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Caveness, has called on the Swiss to resign.
"The FIFA President was democratically elected by FIFA's member associations and continues to serve their mandate. It is increasingly clear that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President," FIFA said in a statement.
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"Those who do not have the support of FIFA's national member federations should not seek to achieve through accusations, insinuations or disinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's democratic processes."
Opposition to Infantino is mainly in Europe. FIFA's next statement was issued late on Saturday.
“Change inevitably challenges vested interests. But disagreement with that change cannot justify attempts to undermine the democratic mandate of the FIFA president or the institution he was elected to lead. FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny. But scrutiny is not a license to distort the facts, make unfounded accusations or produce distractions designed to undermine progress. Where reporting is inaccurate or misleading, FIFA will challenge it directly and forcefully,” the statement reads.
