Hungarian official withdraws backing for Gianni Infantino's bid for fourth term as Fifa president

Recently, several football federations and Fifa officials have distanced themselves from president Gianni Infantino, with one of his vice-presidents deeming the departure of a senior executive as the "final straw" in a governance crisis. Fifa disclosed that Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour had resigned from the organization after criticizing Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of major tournaments.

This prompted Sandor Csanyi, a Hungarian vice-president and member of the Fifa Council, to withdraw his support for Infantino's bid for a fourth term. Csanyi attributed the dismissal to "serious shortcomings in professional judgement, ethical standards, and leadership," stating that Lamour had performed his duties to a high standard.

Lamour had previously accused Fifa of deceiving staff over the proposed commercial deal. The controversy has intensified pressure on Infantino, who is seeking re-election in March for a term that would last until 2031. Other prominent figures, including UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and Concacaf president Vittorio Montagliani, have also criticized Infantino's conduct.

Montenegro, a member federation, has now joined the list of those distancing themselves from Infantino. Dejan Savicevic, a Fifa Council member and president of the Football Association of Montenegro, described recent developments as "extremely worrying," citing a lack of communication and transparency from Fifa. Montenegro supported calls from European federations and Uefa for a thorough review of Fifa's leadership actions.

While Infantino retains support from the African confederation CAF and South America's Conmebol, Wales was the first national federation to formally withdraw its backing, with its chief executive Noel Mooney urging Infantino to resign.