Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s position came under further scrutiny on Friday as the governing body’s chief operating officer strongly criticised his plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors.
In a statement released to the Associated Press, Kevin Lamour described the controversial plans as “the project of one person” and said “the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions”.
The lengthy statement did not mention Infantino by name.
It came on the same day a third confederation spoke out against the plans, a senior adviser to Infantino resigned, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Swiss was “the wrong man” to lead Fifa.
Lamour said in his statement: “Our mission – the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary Fifa employees – is to serve football.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite.”
Lamour acknowledged he had a duty of loyalty to his employer but also to “certain values” and supporting his colleagues.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it,” he added. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had earlier said it “stands in solidarity” with counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.
The AFC added Infantino’s plan could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward”.
“The Fifa World Cup is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all Confederations and the world’s leading football nations,” it said.
“Any proposal that risks undermining the unity and universal character of the competition must be reconsidered.”
Shortly after that statement, Carlos Cordeiro – Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance – resigned, saying the proposal was “a bad deal for football” and would “mortgage football’s future”.
Burnham later described Infantino’s proposal as an “outrageous suggestion”.
“The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation,” he added.
The AFC’s statement means Infantino’s plans are unlikely to be approved by Fifa members if put to a vote.
Infantino had indicated the proposals would need a straight majority to go through – meaning 106 of its 211 members needed to vote in favour for the proposal.
Uefa – the body that governs European football – has 55 votes. Concacaf, which oversees football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, has 35 and Asia has 46.
Should all member associations back the stance of their governing body, that would mean 136 nations are against Infantino’s plan.
