Welcome to Sideline Moves, Insider Sport’s weekly roundup spotlighting the key moves that are shaping the business of sport.
FIFA has removed Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour. Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are in talks to sell their Chelsea stakes to Clearlake Capital. Val Ackerman is retiring as Big East commissioner after 13 years. Patrick Vieira has taken charge of Senegal, and Sébastien Pocognoli has been appointed head coach of Scotland.
FIFA removes COO Kevin Lamour
FIFA ended chief operating officer Kevin Lamour‘s employment on Monday 17 August. Lamour, 45, joined FIFA as COO on 1 November 2024 from UEFA, where he was deputy general secretary.
A FIFA spokesperson said the working relationship with Lamour had ended on 17 August and thanked him for his service. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström told staff and council members in a letter, reported by Sky News, that the split was a mutual decision reached with respect for Lamour. Several outlets reported the exit as a dismissal following Lamour’s public criticism of president Gianni Infantino.
Lamour issued a statement in late July accusing Infantino of misleading staff over plans to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private equity investors and to create a commercial subsidiary. Lamour said employees “deserve better than contempt and intimidation”.
FIFA Senior Adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned days before Lamour’s statement. FIFA withdrew the proposal after opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and other confederations. Infantino faces a presidential election in March 2027.
Boehly and Walter in talks to sell Chelsea stakes
Chelsea Chairman Todd Boehly and Co-owner Mark Walter are in talks to sell their stakes in the club to majority shareholder Clearlake Capital, the Financial Times reported on 17 August. No agreement has been reached.
Clearlake owns 61.5% of Chelsea. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss each hold 12.8%. Boehly and Walter would sell their holdings; it is unclear whether Wyss will follow.
The talks value Chelsea at about £5bn ($6.8bn). The consortium bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022 for £2.5bn and committed a further £1.75bn in investment.
Reports attributed the discussions to differences between Boehly and Clearlake co-owner Behdad Eghbali over the club’s transfer model and stadium plans. The proposed deal would see Boehly step down as chairman at the end of the season.
Vieira appointed Senegal head coach
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) appointed Patrick Vieira as Head Coach of the men’s national team on Tuesday 18 August. Vieira replaces Pape Thiaw, who was dismissed after Senegal’s exit in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The FSF confirmed the appointment in a statement on X, describing Vieira as the new coach of the senior national team and saying his official presentation would follow.
Vieira was born in Dakar and moved to France as a child. He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France. His coaching career has included New York City FC, Nice, Crystal Palace, Strasbourg and Genoa.
Vieira takes charge for the September international window, which opens Senegal’s qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Multiple reports say he has signed a four-year contract running to 2030; the FSF statement did not state the term.
Pocognoli named Scotland head coach
The Scottish Football Association appointed Sébastien Pocognoli as Head Coach of the men’s national team on 16 August. The 39-year-old Belgian signed an initial two-year contract and will lead Scotland into the UEFA Nations League.
Pocognoli joins from AS Monaco, where he was appointed in 2025. He won the Belgian Pro League with Union Saint-Gilloise, the club’s first title in 90 years, and added the Belgian Super Cup and a place in the Champions League group stage. He was named Belgian Coach of the Year.
The former left-back won 13 caps for Belgium and played for Genk, AZ Alkmaar, Standard Liège, Hannover 96, West Bromwich Albion and Brighton & Hove Albion. Pocognoli said the appointment was “an honour”.
Snapshot Moves
- Michigan State appointed Dan Bartholomae as Athletic Director on 17 August. Bartholomae joins from Western Michigan, where he had been Athletic Director since January 2022, and begins on 31 August. He succeeds J Batt, who left for Kentucky in June.
- Texas Southern named Ashley Robinson Vice President and Director of Athletics on 19 August, and appointed Corey Lowery Men’s Basketball Head Coach the same day. Robinson is a two-time national athletic director of the year. The hires followed criticism from students, staff and alumni over the university’s search process.
We’re spotlighting the movers and shakers shaping the sports business every Friday.
Submit your people moves to Insider Sport’s Editor, Louis Thompsett, at [email protected] to be featured in the next edition of Sideline Moves.
Catch up on last week’s Sideline Moves to read who took charge at Cadillac’s Formula 1 team.
