FIFA COO Lamour Departs Amid Infantino World Cup Plan Fallout
Kevin Lamour's exit follows his public accusation that Gianni Infantino deceived staff over a $20 billion World Cup profit-sharing plan.
FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has left his role at soccer's governing body just weeks after accusing the organization's president, Gianni Infantino, of deceiving staff over a plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds.
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the departure to Britain's Press Association late Monday, saying: "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."
Lamour, who was based in Zurich, had all but invited Infantino to fire him in an Aug. 1 statement to The Associated Press defending his colleagues amid backlash over the sell-off proposal. He wrote that staff had been "deceived" by Infantino's lack of openness in planning the deal. He released that statement the same day Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned, calling the $20 billion commercial subsidiary plan "a bad deal for football."
Infantino, who is seeking reelection as FIFA president, remains under pressure after the heads of three continental confederations — for Europe, Asia, and North, Central America and the Caribbean — issued an open letter last week calling his World Cup plan a "fundamental breach of trust" and "deception."
Infantino withdrew the $20 billion proposal after a furious backlash from global soccer officials, including European governing body UEFA, which had warned of a boycott of all FIFA games and events. Some national federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino, though the heads of six Arab soccer federations last week expressed their "full support" and "confidence" in him.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and, until the backlash over the so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, appeared certain to be reelected unopposed next year in Morocco. FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for any challengers to come forward.
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