Senior FIFA official withdraws support from embattled Infantino

One of FIFA’s vice presidents has withdrawn his support from the world football body’s embattled president Gianni Infantino, saying the “unexpected dismissal” of critic Kevin Lamour was the “final straw”.

Frenchman Lamour’s position as chief operating officer had become untenable after he broke ranks with senior FIFA directors last month and issued a scathing statement criticising Infantino over his now-scrapped plan to allow private investment in World Cups.

Lamour had called the sell-off plan “the project of one person”. He further stated that the FIFA administration was “deceived” about the abandoned plan. “Our mission — the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees — is to serve football. A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite,” he had said.

Lamour went vocal and was not worried about his job in the governing body. “If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Recently, UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accused the world governing body of “fundamental breach of trust” and “deception” over the management of the plans to sell the World Cup stakes. The three bodies had hit out at Infantino.

In a letter seen by AFP on Wednesday, FIFA vice-president and council member Sandor Csanyi of Hungary said Infantino has “lost the confidence I previously placed in you”.

“My conviction that you are capable of continuing to lead FIFA successfully and effectively in accordance with the shared values that previously formed the basis of our cooperation has been undermined,” Csanyi, a billionaire businessman and banker and head of the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), said in the letter sent to Infantino on Tuesday.

The letter cited “a number of controversial decisions” around this year’s World Cup, including information that Infantino had been working “on plans to outsource FIFA competitions and place them in the hands of external parties”.

“The final straw was the unexpected dismissal of Kevin Lamour,” it said, adding it “points to serious shortcomings in professional judgement, ethical standards and leadership”.

On Tuesday, European football body UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister said FIFA’s dismissal of Lamour sent a “deeply troubling message to all of us seeking change”.