FIFA’s chief operating officer just went scorched earth on his own boss. Kevin Lamour publicly accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of deceiving staff over a proposal to sell a large minority stake in the organization’s most valuable assets, including the World Cup itself.
Lamour said he was willing to lose his job for speaking out, adding that FIFA staff “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.”
The $20 billion question
Infantino has been pushing a plan to create a new company that would oversee FIFA’s marquee events, including the World Cup and the Club World Cup. The idea is to sell a large minority stake in that entity, with the goal of generating roughly $20 billion.
The money, according to Infantino’s pitch, would be used to triple the development funding FIFA distributes to its 211 member associations.
