RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 10 sourcesFifa ’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has become the second senior governing body official to put Gianni Infantino on blast after claiming he “deceived” staff in going ahead with plans to sell off the World Cup to private investors .
Infantino has faced staunch opposition to his Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) - the name for the commercial entity - with Uefa confirming they will boycott Fifa competitions , including the next World Cup, if plans go ahead.
Concacaf, the confederation of North America and the Caribbean, as well as the Asian Football Confederation have joined Uefa in officially rejecting the proposal , before Infantino’s senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned from his post.
Lamour has now given a statement to The Associated Press outlining that Fifa staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation” after being left in the dark about Infantino’s privatisation scheme.
”What has been announced in recent days and what has been happening behind the scenes in recent months defies belief and imagination,” Lamour said, who has worked closely with Infantino at both Fifa and Uefa.
The pressure is mounting on Fifa president Gianni Infantino (PA Archive)
"To put it very clearly and directly: the project that has sparked so much controversy and debate is not a Fifa project. It is even less a project of Fifa’s administration. It is the project of one person.
"The Fifa vice-presidents, the members of the Fifa Council, the confederations, the federations, the players, the leagues, the clubs, and the fans were not the only ones who were ignored. Fifa’s own administration was also deceived.
“This lie by omission over many months and this unilateral exercise of power are not trivial. They are indicative of a lack of trust, a lack of transparency, a lack of discernment, a lack of good governance. And a serious lack of respect.
"Not only must this project not go ahead - for obvious reasons that need not even be listed here - but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”
He continued: “Regarding this project and what comes next, everyone must take responsibility, because it is becoming increasingly difficult for Fifa’s administration to work under these conditions and fulfil its mission.
"Our mission - the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated and exemplary Fifa employees - is to serve football. Not to serve the personal interests of a person who, unfortunately, believes he embodies Fifa when he is supposed to be at its service.
"A president must bring people together, unite them and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite. I have no authority to speak on behalf of my colleagues, and perhaps I am mistaken. But my feeling is that we all want to be proud to work for Fifa, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us. That saddens me.”
Lamour has not resigned from the position he has held since 2024 as of yet, but insisted he had a duty to his colleagues to speak out.
"My colleagues - some of whom have dedicated their lives to football - deserve better than contempt and intimidation,” he said.
"The ball is now in the court of those who have the power to change things.
"I know I have a duty of loyalty to my employer. But I also, and above all, have a duty of loyalty to certain values and to the upbringing I have received, and a duty to support my colleagues. And if that means I lose my job, then so be it.
"I will understand and respect that decision. At least I'll sleep well tonight."
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