FIFA sacks the executive who said Infantino deceived staff over the World Cup sale
Chief operating officer Kevin Lamour was removed seventeen days after breaking ranks; Norway's FA president calls it management by fear.
FIFA has dismissed its chief operating officer seventeen days after he publicly accused Gianni Infantino of misleading the organisation's own staff. Kevin Lamour was removed late on Monday, the governing body confirming only that it "thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future".
Lamour had been the most senior insider to break ranks over FIFA Forward Enterprise, the abandoned plan to sell investors a minority stake in a subsidiary that would have run the men's and women's World Cups. Speaking to the Associated Press in late July, he said employees had been deceived about what the deal meant, and called it the project of one person rather than of the institution.
"This is a firing situation"
The sharpest response came from Norway, whose football association president Lise Klaveness rejected any suggestion that Lamour had gone voluntarily. She called the removal management by fear, described him as the best football administrator she had met, and said the decision looked to her like one taken by a secretary general acting under pressure from the president rather than on his own judgement.
She also pointed to the management meeting held in Morocco on 5 August, at which senior staff restated their support for Infantino. Lamour was not there.
Why it matters beyond FIFA
The commercial plan itself is dead, withdrawn on 1 August after UEFA threatened to keep its national teams out of FIFA competitions and after UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC jointly accused the president of deception. What the dismissal changes is the internal picture. Until now the revolt has been conducted between institutions, in letters and confederation statements. Removing the executive who spoke first moves it inside the building, and gives every remaining official a visible precedent for what dissent costs.
Infantino faces the 211 member associations at a presidential election next March, with candidates required to declare by 18 November. Lamour had worked alongside him since their years together at UEFA.
