FIFA’s decision to dismiss the high-ranking official who accused Gianni Infantino of misleading staff regarding his World Cup funding strategy was strongly criticized by 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 remarks to the Associated Press denouncing Infantino’s $20 billion private equity initiative, which was subsequently terminated. Klaveness expressed her dissatisfaction with Lamour’s removal, branding it as “unacceptable” and a form of “management by fear.”
She emphasized the importance of FIFA’s leadership and administration not complying with instructions that are not in the best interest of football, specifically calling out FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström. Klaveness, a former Norway international player and UEFA executive committee member, highlighted Lamour’s contributions as a highly skilled football administrator.
Lamour, who had a long-standing professional relationship with Infantino, raised serious concerns about Infantino’s leadership, triggering a crisis for the FIFA president. The backlash from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF stemmed from a clandestine plan to sell future World Cup revenues to investors led by Joshua Kushner.
Lamour’s public statement on July 31 criticized Infantino for lack of transparency and highlighted the staff’s dissatisfaction with the failed sale. Klaveness commended Lamour for his courage in exposing the truth and stated that his intervention was crucial in halting the controversial project.
According to Klaveness, Lamour’s departure was not voluntary but a dismissal orchestrated by Grafström under pressure from the president. FIFA expressed gratitude to Lamour for his service, while Klaveness emphasized the necessity of shedding light on internal issues within the organization.
Infantino convened a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, excluding Lamour, where senior management expressed their continued support for his presidency. Klaveness criticized the culture of fear within FIFA, stating that it does not serve the best interests of football.
Prior to the controversy surrounding Infantino’s proposed “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” his reelection next year in Morocco seemed assured. However, potential challengers have until November 18 to enter the race.
