Infantino ‘deceived staff’: FIFA COO Kevin Lamour exits amid World Cup sale controversy

Zurich: FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has reportedly departed his role at world football's governing body just weeks after alleging that its president, Gianni Infantino, had deceived staff regarding a controversial World Cup sell-off plan.

Lamour, who is based in Zurich, virtually invited Infantino to dismiss him in a statement to The Associated Press on Aug. 1, defending his colleagues amid intense fallout from a proposal to sell stakes in future World Cup revenues to private equity firms.

In his statement, Lamour wrote that staff were “deceived” by Infantino's lack of transparency during the planning process. His remarks were released on the same day Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, stepped down and labelled the proposed $20 billion commercial subsidiary project “a bad deal for football.”

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Britain's Press Association news agency quoted a FIFA spokesperson late Monday confirming the departure: “FIFA can confirm that the working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as FIFA's Chief Operating Officer has ended.”

“FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future. No further comment will be made on the matter.”

Infantino is seeking re-election as FIFA president but faces mounting scrutiny after the heads of three continental confederations — representing Europe, Asia, and North, Central America and the Caribbean — released an open letter last week describing his World Cup proposal as a “fundamental breach of trust” and accusing him of “deception.”

Infantino subsequently withdrew the $20 billion plan following a fierce backlash from global football administrators, including European governing body UEFA, which warned of a potential boycott of all FIFA fixtures and events.

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While several national associations have pulled their endorsement for Infantino, the heads of six Arab football federations issued a joint statement last week expressing their “full support” and “confidence” in the incumbent president.

Infantino has held the presidency since 2016 and, prior to the backlash over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, appeared set to run unopposed in next year's election in Morocco. FIFA has established a Nov. 18 deadline for rival candidates to submit their bids.

PTI