Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister says Fifa’s decision to dismiss senior executive Kevin Lamour after he criticised president Gianni Infantino sends a “deeply troubling message” to those seeking reform within world football’s governing body.
Lamour’s departure from his role as Fifa chief operating officer was confirmed on Monday evening. His dismissal came just over two weeks after he publicly claimed Fifa’s administration had been “deceived” by Infantino over a proposal to sell stakes in football competitions to private investors.
McAllister, a member of the Uefa executive committee and a former Wales captain, worked with Lamour at European football’s governing body while he was its deputy general secretary. She issued a statement condemning his removal.
“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,” said McAllister.
“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.
“During the shabby events of the past weeks, he showed himself to be a courageous advocate for the most important stakeholders in football.”
Fifa abandoned its plan to sell stakes in its football competitions on 1 August, one day after Lamour described the proposal as “the project of one person”.
Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned earlier that same day, increasing pressure on Infantino. The Fifa president ultimately secured the backing of senior executives at a meeting in Morocco, which Lamour did not attend.
The dispute has already led Uefa to say it has lost confidence in Infantino. It described the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal”.
Uefa later published an open letter with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, the confederation representing North America, accusing Fifa and Infantino of breaking trust “through deception”.
The Football Associations of England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland have withdrawn their support for Infantino and will not vote for his re-election as Fifa president in early 2027.
McAllister said Lamour’s approach had been based on principles of accountability and independence.
“Having worked with Kevin, I know that his leadership always operates on principles of respect, independence, transparency and sound governance,” she added.
“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.
“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.
“Instead, the loss of a leader of Kevin’s calibre sends a deeply troubling message to all of us seeking change.”
The developments follow a period of growing tension between Fifa’s leadership and several confederations over the proposed FFE plan, with Lamour’s dismissal now becoming a further point of concern for those calling for greater transparency and stronger governance.
