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According to a report by Bloomberg, which said it had seen a letter sent by Csányi to Infantino, the dismissal of FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour was the “final straw” for the Hungarian football executive.
Lamour left FIFA on Aug. 17 after publicly criticizing Infantino’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. FIFA confirmed that its working relationship with Lamour had ended but did not give a reason for his departure.
Csányi wrote that dismissing Lamour over his criticism of a proposal that Infantino himself later acknowledged was misguided raised serious concerns about the FIFA president’s professional judgment, ethical standards and leadership.
The FFE proposal would have transferred some of FIFA’s most valuable commercial activities, including rights connected with the men’s World Cup, into a separate commercial entity and opened approximately 20% of the company to private investors.
The proposal envisaged raising around USD 4.2 billion from investors at an equity valuation of approximately USD 20 bln. Infantino ultimately withdrew the plan following strong opposition from football organizations, including UEFA.
Lamour had openly criticized the project before it was abandoned, saying FIFA’s administration had been kept in the dark over its development. He had also acknowledged that speaking publicly against the proposal could cost him his position.
MLSZ had previously said it considered the preparation of the FFE proposal “extremely serious and unacceptable.” The Hungarian federation also opposed the proposal during consultations involving UEFA’s European member associations and backed calls for the matter to be investigated independently of FIFA’s administration.
Csányi is one of eight vice presidents on the FIFA Council, the organization’s main decision-making body between meetings of the FIFA Congress. His decision to withdraw support adds to mounting pressure on Infantino following the collapse of the FFE project and the departure of senior FIFA officials who opposed it. Bloomberg first reported Csányi’s letter on Aug. 18.
The controversy comes ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election in March 2027. Opposition to Infantino has increased markedly following the FFE dispute, although replacing an incumbent FIFA president would still require challengers to build support among national associations worldwide.
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