"Now he is thrown out and we are supposed to move on. It's unacceptable, it's management by fear." That was Norway FA president Lise Klaveness on Tuesday, responding to FIFA's removal of chief operating officer Kevin Lamour — fired just 17 days after he publicly accused Gianni Infantino of deceiving staff over a $20 billion private equity deal.
Lamour's statement on July 31 was blunt and deliberate. He said FIFA staff had been "deceived" by Infantino's lack of transparency over the plan to sell future World Cup profits to investors led by Joshua Kushner — a $4.2 billion deal that would have given a 20% stake in a FIFA commercial spin-off to private equity, with each of FIFA's 211 member federations offered $20 million to accept by a mid-September deadline. Lamour's public intervention helped kill the project within hours. Then, on August 18, he was gone.
A firing dressed up as a departure
FIFA's official statement thanked Lamour "for his two years of service" and wished him luck. Klaveness wasn't buying it. "This is a firing situation, it's not a resignation," she said, pointing the finger directly at FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, who she believes acted "obviously being pressured by the president."
She went further, urging FIFA's entire leadership to resist orders they know are against football's interests — a direct challenge to Grafström and anyone else inside Zurich who might be considering loyalty to Infantino over the sport. That's not a diplomat talking. That's someone drawing a line.
Lamour had seen this coming. He ended his July 31 statement with: "If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I'll sleep well tonight." He was right on both counts.
Infantino's reelection picture just changed
Before this saga unfolded, Infantino looked nailed on for unopposed reelection at next year's Congress in Morocco. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Concacaf all pushed back hard against the private equity plan — and now one of the most respected administrators in global football has been shown the door for speaking plainly about it.
The deadline for challengers to enter the FIFA presidential race is November 18. Whether this episode produces a credible rival is another question entirely — but it has handed anyone with ambitions a very clear narrative to run on.
Klaveness described Lamour as "the best football administrator I have ever met." She is a former Norway international, a judge in Oslo, and a UEFA executive committee member. Her voice carries weight, and she used it. The more interesting question now is whether anyone inside FIFA's own walls does the same.
