Fifa vice-president withdraws Infantino backing after COO sacking described as 'final straw'

Gianni Infantino’s grip on the Fifa presidency weakened further this week as Hungary’s Sandor Csanyi, one of eight Fifa vice-presidents, withdrew his support for the embattled leader and condemned the sacking of Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour as “the final straw”.

Fifa announced on Monday that Lamour had left the organisation, weeks after he publicly criticised Infantino’s proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights for the World Cup and other tournaments. Lamour had also alleged that internal staff were “deceived” over the plan, describing it as the ambition of a single individual.

In a letter to Infantino seen by Reuters, Csanyi — a Fifa Council member — wrote that Lamour “performed his duties to a high professional and ethical standard” and accused the president of serious failings. “The fact that his dismissal was prompted by his criticism of the above-mentioned initiative — an initiative that you yourself ultimately acknowledged to have been misguided — points to serious shortcomings in professional judgement, ethical standards and leadership,” Csanyi wrote. Fifa did not respond to a request for comment.

Csanyi is not alone. Three confederations have already called on Infantino to step down, with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, and Concacaf president Vittorio Montagliani all openly challenging his conduct.

Dejan Savicevic, a Fifa Council member since 2017 and president of the Football Association of Montenegro, confirmed his organisation has also rescinded its endorsement of Infantino. In a letter to Fifa Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, Savicevic described “serious lack of communication and transparency” within the organisation and called for “a thorough review of the actions of the Fifa leadership”. Israel has similarly withdrawn its backing for the president.

Infantino is seeking a fourth term at a re-election vote scheduled for March, a victory that would keep him in office until 2031. The accelerating loss of support among council members and national associations now represents a significant threat to that ambition.