Samoura to step down as FIFA Secretary General

• Samoura was the first woman to hold the seat of FIFA Secretary General
• She has served in the role for seven years
• She says she made the decision to spend more time with her family

World football governing body FIFA have announced that the Secretary General, Fatma Samoura will vacate her role after seven years.

Samoura broke barriers, ascending to the second highest position at FIFA as a woman, and has been credited with bringing reforms to the once discredited football governing body.

“It was the best decision of my life to join FIFA,” says Samoura, soeaking to FIFA.com.

She added; “I am very proud to have led such a diverse team. My first word of thanks goes to Gianni Infantino for giving me this dream job. He has shown trust, understanding and an incredible level of support. It is a pleasure to work alongside someone that has transformed FIFA. FIFA today is a better governed, more open, more reliable and more transparent organisation. I will leave FIFA with a high sense of pride and fulfilment.”

She says she wanted to share the news internally first at this week’s FIFA Congress meeting, but due to increased speculation made the decision to announce her departure.

The Senegalese, a former diplomat who had years of experience working at the United Nations, says she will now embark on her last mission, the successful hosting of the Women’s World Cup by Australia and New Zealand.

She will officially leave the role in the next six months. Samoura says she made her decision so as to spend more time with her family.

Privilege and honour to work with Samoura

“It has been a privilege and an honour to work with a trailblazer in the game,” says FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Ever since we met, I knew she would be superb for FIFA. Her passion and enthusiasm to drive change has been inspirational. Fatma was the first woman, and the first African, to be appointed to such an important position at FIFA. We respect Fatma’s decision and I would like to thank her for such dedication and commitment to football. Fatma will continue to contribute towards the development of the game and its social values together with us.”

The first female and non-European to hold the role as head of FIFA’s administration, Samoura was a trailblazer from the moment she stepped into the Home of FIFA to take on her new role after her appointment in May 2016 by recently elected President Infantino.

She has overseen unprecedented growth in women’s football ever since.

Restructuring at FIFA 

Samoura has overseen a complete restructure at FIFA that included the appointment of two Deputy Secretary Generals, a new and fully developed Women’s Football Division, a Technical Development Division, a Chief Compliance Officer, and improved programmes for FIFA’s 211 member associations.

She arrived at FIFA with more than two decades of experience working for the United Nations where she served in seven countries: the Republic of Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Niger, Madagascar and Nigeria.

Working in places affected by war, violence and a lack of women’s rights, she had often been struck by the way in which football, more than anything else, could persuade warring groups to lay down their weapons and bring joy even to people who were enduring terrible suffering. She realised that football was a universal language.