Criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his dealings with former Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber have been closed, Swiss prosecutors said on Thursday, a decision Infantino hailed as a vindication of “the new FIFA”.

Infantino was elected in 2016 to clean up world football’s Zurich-based governing body FIFA after it became embroiled in corruption scandals.

However, Swiss authorities launched proceedings against Infantino himself in 2020 on suspicions of secrecy violations, abuse of office and aiding and abetting related to meetings he held with Lauber.

In ending the proceedings, prosecutors said their investigations had “invalidated” such suspicions.

Swiss-Italian Infantino, who had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, said the decision was a “full and clear victory for me, for the new FIFA and for justice”.

“Indeed and with no surprise, the investigation fully and clearly confirms that I have always acted in a lawful and correct way, always defending exclusively the interests of FIFA and football,” Infantino said. …