Kevin Lamour, Fifa's chief operating officer, has been sacked by the governing body, less than three weeks after he strongly criticised its president Gianni Infantino's aborted plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. The decision to part ways with Lamour was announced in an email by Fifa's secretary general Mattias Grafstrom on Monday evening, who informed staff that the organisation and Lamour had "agreed to part ways". This move comes after Lamour described the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise plans as "the project of one person", and stated that the time had come for football's political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.
Lamour had also acknowledged that Fifa's own administration was "deceived" about the now abandoned project, and expressed his duty of loyalty to his employer, as well as to "certain values" and supporting his colleagues. He had said, "If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I'll sleep well tonight." Lamour joined Fifa in November2024, having previously served as deputy general secretary at Uefa, and was two layers of management below Infantino.
Earlier this month, Infantino received the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco, but Lamour was not invited. In a letter sent to members of Fifa's Council, Grafstrom wrote, "I would like to provide you with an important update regarding a change within the Fifa Administration. Following recent discussions, Fifa and our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally."
Infantino is under increasing pressure following his proposal to create a new company - FFE - to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all Fifa competitions, including World Cups. The plan was aborted after widespread criticism, including opposition from Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation. Several confederations, including Uefa and Concacaf, have withdrawn their support for Infantino's re-election bid, while others, such as the confederations of Africa, South America, and Oceania, have backed him.
The Scottish FA became the latest body to withdraw its support for Infantino on Monday, following England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Football governance charity FairSquare has also written to Fifa demanding that Infantino not be allowed to stand for re-election. The fallout from the aborted plan continues to affect Fifa, with Lamour's sacking being the latest development in a series of events that have put Infantino's leadership under scrutiny.
