Uefa's Laura McAllister calls Fifa sacking of Kevin Lamour 'deeply troubling'

Fifa dismissed senior executive Kevin Lamour on Monday evening, and Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister said the move sent a "deeply troubling message to all of us seeking change." Lamour had been Fifa's chief operating officer and his departure followed public criticism of president Gianni Infantino.

Lamour had issued a statement just over two weeks earlier accusing Fifa's administration of having been "deceived" by Infantino over a proposal to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. Fifa aborted the plan to sell stakes in the body's football competitions on 1 August, one day after Lamour's statement, which described the scheme as "the project of one person." His exit was confirmed on Monday evening.

Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned earlier the same day as the aborted proposal, increasing pressure on Infantino, who nonetheless received the backing of senior Fifa executives at a meeting in Morocco where Lamour was not present. Uefa said it had lost confidence in Infantino and labelled the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal." Uefa subsequently released an open letter alongside the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf accusing Fifa and Infantino of breaking trust "through deception."

McAllister, who worked with Lamour when he was deputy general secretary at Uefa, issued a series of public comments defending him. "I know Kevin Lamour to be an honourable and exemplary sports leader who was a trusted colleague of mine when I was first elected to Uefa Ex Co," she said. "Kevin is not only a deeply principled leader who cares passionately for football, but a brave advocate for the values that should underpin all we do as custodians of our game."

She added: "During the shabby events of the past weeks, he showed himself to be a courageous advocate for the most important stakeholders in football." McAllister continued to outline the standards she believes leaders must meet, saying, "Having worked with Kevin, I know that his leadership always operates on principles of respect, independence, transparency and sound governance."

On the effect of Lamour's dismissal, McAllister warned of institutional consequences, stating: "Kevin's sacking seriously weakens Fifa's administration, whilst undermining this unique opportunity to shift the culture at Fifa and to reset the organisation on sporting values, not simply commercial and financial ones. Fifa is not the president, it is the whole football family." She added: "As I have said repeatedly, world football needs strong, principled, independent leaders who are prepared to speak up, challenge when necessary, and stand firmly by their values and those of the global game."

The Football Associations of England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland have withdrawn their support for Infantino. They have said they will not be voting for his re-election as president in early 2027.