Top official leaves FIFA over World Cup sell-off plan

UEFA’s deputy general secretary Kevin Lamour (center) [AP Photo]

FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, has reportedly left his role at soccer’s governing body just weeks after saying its president, Gianni Infantino, had deceived staff with his World Cup sell-off plan.

Lamour, who is based in Zurich, all but invited Infantino to fire him in a statement to The Associated Press on Aug. 1 that defended his colleagues amid intense fallout from the plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds.

Lamour wrote that staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning. He released the statement on the say day Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, decided to walk away and described the $20 billion commercial subsidiary plan as “a bad deal for football.”

Britain’s Press Association yesterday [Macau time] quoted a FIFA spokesperson as 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.”

Infantino is seeking reelection as FIFA president but remains under pressure after the heads of three continental confederations — for Europe, Asia and for North, Central America and the Caribbean — issued an open letter last week saying his World Cup plan was a “fundamental breach of trust” and described it as “deception.”

Infantino withdrew the $20 billion proposal after a furious backlash by global soccer officials, including European body UEFA, which has warned of a boycott of all FIFA games and events.

Some national federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino, although the heads of six Arab soccer federations last week expressed their “full support” and “confidence” in the president.

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and, until the backlash over the so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, seemed sure to be reelected unopposed next year in Morocco. FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for challengers to come forward. MDT/AP