Gianni Infantino’s decision to sack FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour feels sinister and dark – he’s continuing to rule a totalitarian regime
When you’ve handed someone the FIFA Peace Prize then watched that person launch a series of wars, sacking someone must feel like scratching an itch.
But news of FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour’s dismissal from world football’s governing body for criticising president Gianni Infantino, feels downright sinister and dark. It proves to the world’s game how Infantino is continuing to rule a totalitarian regime.
He clings to absolute power somehow, in an organisation in which no-one is allowed to challenge him. Lamour did – and paid the price of losing his job as chief operating officer. To recap. Less than three weeks ago Lamour hit out at Infantino’s aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
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As the walls closed in on Infantino, he rallied the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco. A meeting Lamour was not invited to.
FIFA’s staff were informed of the news of Lamour’s sacking in an email from secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who told them the organisation and Lamour had “agreed to part ways”. That’s code for, “Kevin Lamour had the temerity to question FIFA’s leader, so he had to go”. Just imagine working for FIFA?
Infantino has slammed his iron first on the table, and used Lamour as an example of what will happen to anyone who doesn’t fall in line with his dictatorship.
Yet the Swiss administrator continues to show a shameless ignorance towards what his and FIFA’s role is in the first place. Which is to serve the game of football – rather than himself.
FIFA’s motto is to unite the game, but all Infantino continues to do is divide people and the sport he claims to serve. Infantino became an embarrassment to the sport a long time ago.
Long before he jumped into bed with Donald Trump. But this summer we have witnessed his levels of selfishness and personal gain scale unprecedented lows.
We have learned how far he is prepared to go to in his quest to ingratiate himself with Trump, who remains one of the most divisive US presidents in history.
Which makes the problem that was Lamour, nothing more significant than having to swat an annoying fly. But Infantino’s grip on his footballing fiefdom has to be released.
Because the reputation of the beautiful game at the highest level has turned downright ugly thanks to the dealings of one man.