FIFA has dismissed Kevin Lamour from his position as Chief Operating Officer after he publicly criticized president Gianni Infantino, according to The Athletic.
The 45-year-old French executive ranked third in FIFA’s hierarchy and openly challenged Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise project in a statement at the end of July. “This is a one-man project,” Lamour said, arguing that football’s political leaders needed to question the initiative and make the right decisions. He also added, “And if that means I lose my job, so be it.”
Lamour had already lost his place in FIFA’s internal discussions before the organization dismissed him. Infantino excluded the French executive from an executive crisis meeting that he organized in Morocco at the beginning of August. The meeting focused on the controversial plan to create a commercial company that would hold World Cup rights, a proposal that quickly triggered strong opposition across international football.
FIFA has since abandoned the project, but the controversy continues to put Infantino under intense pressure. Several confederations, including UEFA, have publicly challenged the FIFA president’s approach to governance. Lamour’s dismissal now adds another significant development to the growing crisis surrounding Infantino, as tensions within FIFA continue to rise.
