Uefa has complained to Fifa about an article critical of the Uefa president, Michel Platini, reportedly sent to Swiss and German newspapers from an unidentified source within Fifa headquarters. The article, focusing on the already known facts that Platini voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and that his son, Laurent, was subsequently hired as an executive by the Qatari sportswear firm Burrda, suggested that, if Blatter’s daughter Corinne had done the same thing, he would have been much more heavily criticised.

The article also suggested Platini has enjoyed adulatory press in Europe because he was a player for France but that his judgment on Qatar, for whom Blatter did not vote, makes him unfit to be Fifa president. Reacting to reports that the article was circulated from within Fifa, the Uefa general secretary, Gianni Infantino, wrote to his Fifa counterpart, Jérôme Valcke, demanding to know if it was true “some kind of ‘dossier’” was sent and who was responsible for it. A spokesman said Uefa is concerned by reports of “an alleged smear campaign” against Platini.

“It goes without saying that if [the reports are] true or at least substantially accurate then somebody within Fifa has acted in gross violation of the Fifa code of ethics and possibly also in violation of Swiss law,” Infantino wrote. He told Valcke he had copied his letter to Cornel Borbely, chair of Fifa’s ethics investigatory arm, and Domenico Scala, chair of the audit and compliance and electoral committees.

Fifa confirmed Valcke had received the letter and a spokesman said: “Fifa is investigating the matter.”

The row over the alleged smear followed an interview given by Blatter at the weekend in which he spoke publicly of the bitter hostility he now feels towards Platini, who is standing to replace him in the Fifa presidential election next February. In the extraordinary interview with the Dutch newspaper De Volksrant, Blatter claimed that shortly before his re-election as president in May, which took place two days after seven Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich on US corruption charges, Platini reduced Blatter’s 80-year-old brother, Peter, to tears by saying Blatter should withdraw his candidacy or he too could go to prison.

Blatter also explained the roots of his falling out with Platini as a perceived slight at the opening ceremony of the 2008 European Championship in Basel, at which Blatter claimed he was not given a prominent enough seat.

Uefa denounced these stories as “spurious” and “ridiculous”.

In his De Volkskrant interview, Blatter spoke of his resentment particularly at the timing of the Zurich arrests and the description of Fifa by the US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, as, Blatter paraphrased, “an enterprise that resembles the mafia”.

Of Platini, Blatter said he had a relationship like a father with a son when Platini began his football administration career at Fifa, but this has now descended into enmity. Blatter said he felt “sidelined” when given a seat at the 2008 Euros opening ceremony eight from the centre, “far away” from the Swiss president. He then claimed Platini told Blatter’s brother, at a lunch at May’s Fifa congress: “Tell Sepp to withdraw from the election or he will go to prison.”

Uefa said in response: “This spurious story is the latest in a series of attempts from Zurich to distract the world from the real problems thatFifa faces. The Uefa president will not dignify these ridiculous allegations with a reply. Michel Platini is currently more concerned with preparing – along with many national associations who are supporting him – a programme which can restore Fifa’s image and reputation, and most importantly develop football around the globe.”