FIFA fires top manager after criticism of Infantino's plan
Kyiv • UNN
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour left the organization after criticizing Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights. UEFA and other associations withdrew their support for the FIFA president.
FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour left the organization on August 17, less than three weeks after criticizing President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights to private investors. BBC Sport reports, according to UNN.
Details
A FIFA representative confirmed the termination of Lamour’s employment. The organization’s Secretary General Mattias Grafström told staff that the parties had "agreed to part ways."
Lamour publicly criticized the project to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, calling it a "one-man project." According to him, FIFA’s leadership had been "misled" about the project.
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Our mission—the mission of hundreds of dedicated and conscientious FIFA employees—is to serve football. The president should bring people together, bring them closer, and inspire them. Today, we are witnessing the exact opposite
He also noted that he had to be loyal to his employer, but at the same time was obliged to adhere to certain values and support his colleagues.
If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will accept this decision with understanding and respect. At least tonight, I will sleep peacefully
Lamour joined FIFA in November 2024. Before that, he served as UEFA’s deputy secretary general and was two levels below Infantino in the management hierarchy.
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The idea behind FIFA Forward Enterprise involved creating a separate company to manage commercial rights and ticket sales for FIFA tournaments, including World Cups. Infantino proposed selling 21% of the company’s shares to private investment firms.
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The plan faced opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA even threatened to boycott the World Cup if the project went ahead. The creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise was subsequently abandoned.
After that, UEFA and CONCACAF said they would not support Infantino’s candidacy in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. At the same time, he was backed by the confederations of Africa, South America, and Oceania, as well as by individual CONCACAF members.
On August 17, the Scottish Football Association became the latest organization to withdraw its support for Infantino. The football associations of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland had done so earlier.
Amid the conflict, the charity FairSquare, which focuses on governance issues in football, called on FIFA not to allow Infantino to participate in the election.