Norway FA president condemns FIFA's dismissal of COO amid World Cup financing controversy
Lise Klaveness said the firing of FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour was unacceptable and warned against decisions she views as contrary to football's interests.
Norway Football Association president Lise Klaveness criticised FIFA for terminating chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, describing the action as "management by fear" and urging other senior officials to resist orders she believes are not in football's best interests. Klaveness told the Associated Press that Lamour, whom she called "the best football administrator I have ever met," was dismissed after he warned staff that President Gianni Infantino had misled them about a proposed $20 billion private-equity project linked to future World Cup revenues.
Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino who moved from UEFA to FIFA two years ago, had said FIFA staff were "deceived" by the lack of transparency surrounding the plan, which involved selling a 20% stake in a commercial spin-off to investors for $4.2 billion. The proposal would have offered $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 national federations and faced opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF.
Klaveness said the dismissal was not a resignation and suggested it was carried out under pressure from FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström. She called on FIFA leadership to avoid complying with directives that could harm the sport. FIFA issued a brief statement thanking Lamour for his two years of service.
The controversy follows Infantino's meeting with senior managers in Rabat, after which FIFA apologized for errors and reaffirmed support for the president's agenda. Klaveness warned that the handling of the situation reflects a climate of intimidation and does not serve football's interests.