Hungarian official withdraws backing for Gianni Infantino's bid for fourth term as Fifa president
More football federations and Fifa officials have withdrawn their support for president Gianni Infantino, with one of his vice-presidents describing the departure of a senior executive as the “final straw” in a growing governance crisis. Fifa confirmed on Monday that chief operating officer Kevin Lamour had left the organisation , weeks after he publicly criticised Infantino’s plan to sell a…
Fifa officials and football federations are withdrawing their support for president Gianni Infantino, with one of his vice-presidents deeming the departure of a senior executive as the "final straw" in a growing governance crisis. Kevin Lamour, Fifa's chief operating officer, has left the organization following public criticism of Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of major tournaments.
This decision led Sandor Csanyi, a Hungarian vice-president and member of the Fifa Council, to withdraw his backing for Infantino's bid for a fourth term as president. Csanyi described Lamour's dismissal as evidence of "serious shortcomings in professional judgement, ethical standards and leadership." Lamour had previously accused Fifa of deceiving staff over the proposed commercial deal.
Other high-profile figures, including UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and AFC president Vittorio Montagliani, have also criticized Infantino's conduct. Montenegro has joined the list of federations distancing themselves from Infantino, with its secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, accusing Fifa of a lack of communication and transparency.
Despite the growing pressure, Infantino still has support from the African Confederation (CAF) and South America's CONMEBOL.
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