FIFA’s dismissal of the high-ranking official who accused Gianni Infantino of misleading staff about his World Cup financial scheme was criticized as inappropriate by Norway soccer president Lise Klaveness on Tuesday. Klaveness urged other leaders within the organization to not comply with potentially harmful directives.
The removal of FIFA’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, occurred 17 days after he publicly criticized Infantino’s $20 billion private equity initiative, which was subsequently abandoned. Klaveness expressed her discontent with Lamour’s abrupt termination, labeling it as a management tactic based on fear. She praised Lamour as an exceptional football administrator and called on FIFA leadership, particularly targeting FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, to resist directives that are not beneficial to soccer.
A former Norway national player and a member of UEFA’s executive committee, Klaveness is known for upholding her country’s reputation for good governance in soccer. Lamour had a long-standing professional relationship with Infantino, having worked together at UEFA and during Infantino’s FIFA presidential campaign.
Lamour’s public criticism of Infantino’s leadership has intensified a crisis for the FIFA president, prompting backlash from various soccer bodies over a secretive plan to sell future World Cup profits to investors. Lamour’s remarks highlighted the lack of transparency in the failed project and emphasized the importance of ethical decision-making in soccer leadership.
Klaveness emphasized that Lamour’s departure was a firing rather than a resignation, suggesting external pressure was involved in the decision-making process. FIFA expressed gratitude for Lamour’s service while Klaveness credited his statement for halting the controversial project and revealing the truth behind the failed initiative.
Infantino convened a meeting in Morocco without Lamour, where senior management reaffirmed their support for his presidency. Klaveness criticized the management style within FIFA as fostering fear and not serving the best interests of football. Despite the recent controversy, Infantino had been expected to run unopposed for reelection until the deadline for challengers to enter the race in November.