Norway’s Lise Klaveness criticizes FIFA chiefs after Kevin Lamour exit

On Monday, FIFA confirmed that Lamour had left his role as chief operating officer at the international football federation.

According to information provided to Sky News, he was fired, and it was Swedish Secretary General Mattias Grafström who informed FIFA employees that Lamour was leaving.

"Following recent discussions, FIFA and Kevin Lamour have agreed to part ways. This decision was made after careful consideration and with great respect for Kevin, both personally and professionally," Grafström wrote, according to Sky.

Claveness critical

Now we must urge FIFA's leaders and administration to disobey orders that they know are not in the best interests of football, says Klaveness, and especially points out Grafström, who the Norwegian believes was "obviously pressured by the chairman" when firing Lamour.

Klaveness also says that Lamour's dismissal is a sign that FIFA President Gianni Infantino rules by instilling fear in his employees.

It is unacceptable, it is leadership based on fear, she says.

Shelves kicked Lamour

It was when FIFA's plans to sell parts of the World Cup operations to external investors became known in July that Lamour claimed that Infantino had acted behind the backs of the staff.

"The staff at FIFA have been misled by Infantino's lack of transparency about the plans. If it means I lose my job, so be it," said Lamour, who was later fired.

Klaveness describes him as "the best football administrator I've ever met."

His statements were necessary to kill the project, says the Norwegian chairman about Lamour's words about the World Cup proposal.