FIFA’s decision to dismiss the top official who accused Gianni Infantino of misleading staff with his World Cup commercialization plan faced criticism from Norway soccer president Lise Klaveness on Tuesday. Klaveness urged other leaders within the organization to resist potentially harmful directives.
The firing of FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, occurred 17 days after his comments to the Associated Press denouncing Infantino’s $20 billion private equity initiative. Klaveness expressed her disapproval of Lamour’s removal, labeling it as “unacceptable” and indicative of a management style driven by fear. She praised Lamour as “the best football administrator” she had encountered.
As a former Norway national team player, Oslo judge, and elected executive committee member at UEFA, Klaveness emphasized the importance of upholding football’s best interests within FIFA, specifically directing her comments towards FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström.
Lamour’s longstanding professional relationship with Infantino, dating back to their tenure at UEFA and collaboration during Infantino’s FIFA presidency campaign, added weight to the criticisms levied against Infantino’s leadership. Lamour’s public dissent sparked a crisis for the FIFA president, drawing backlash from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF over a secretive plan to sell future World Cup revenues to investors led by Joshua Kushner.
In his statement on July 31, Lamour highlighted the lack of transparency surrounding Infantino’s failed commercialization endeavor, expressing solidarity with FIFA staff and calling for decisive action from soccer leaders worldwide. Klaveness underscored the necessity of Lamour’s intervention in halting the controversial project, asserting that his disclosures were crucial in distinguishing the actions of one individual from the broader organization.
Klaveness clarified that Lamour’s departure was a termination rather than a voluntary resignation, suggesting external pressure influenced the decision-making process within FIFA. Despite FIFA’s acknowledgment of Lamour’s service and well-wishes for his future endeavors, Klaveness emphasized the significance of addressing internal issues within the organization for the betterment of football governance.
Infantino’s efforts to garner support for his presidency, including a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, and subsequent apologies for past errors, faced scrutiny from critics like Klaveness who viewed such actions as fostering an atmosphere of fear within FIFA. Prior to the controversy surrounding Infantino’s proposed “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” his re-election bid seemed assured, but the emergence of challengers may alter the landscape leading up to the upcoming election deadline on November 18.