Swedish national and FIFA Deputy Secretary General –Football, Mattias Grafström, has been appointed as the world football body’s Secretary General ad interim with immediate effect.
Grafström would assume the role on a permanent basis when Senegalese Fatma Samoura leaves her role as Secretary General at the end of the year.
Samoura was appointed by the current FIFA president and International Olympic Committee member, Gianni Infantino, in 2016 to succeed the disgraced German-Swiss dual national Markus Kattner.
There has been no announcement that Samoura has brought forward her departure from FIFA, but it was reported by Inside World Football that she has taken leave until the end of her contract.
Insidethegames sought clarification from the governing body with regard to Samoura’s position, and it pointed to its media release from Wednesday’s Council meeting.
“The FIFA Council also approved the appointment of FIFA deputy secretary general –football, Mattias Grafström, as FIFA secretary general ad interim with immediate effect,” the statement said.
Grafström appointment was sequel to his nomination on an ad interim basis in October 2023.
The Sweden/Netherlands national now takes over from Fatma Samoura.
“I am humbled and deeply honoured to have been appointed FIFA Secretary General and I would like to thank the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, the Confederation Presidents, the Vice-Presidents and the members of FIFA Council for having trusted me to serve football in such an important position,” said Grafström.
He added that, “Football is my passion since I was born. I started playing it as a child and worked in football all my life at all different levels. There are therefore no words to express my feelings as I accept with pride and with a great sense of responsibility, the biggest challenge of my professional life.
“Together with the FIFA team, I will of course dedicate myself more than ever to the service of our beautiful game of football, FIFA and its 211 Member Associations.”
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