By Andrew Warshaw
November 14 – Any suggestion by the regime of Gianni Infantino that the exit of FIFA’s long-time medical director Jiri Dvorak (pictured) was by mutual consent has been well and truly countered by the Czech-born neurologist’s reaction to leaving the organisation after 22 years.
Dvorak, whose departure was announced last week, is the latest casualty of the purge of FIFA’s old guard but he says he did not expect to be forced out with such little notice, saying he was not given a full explanation for his departure and making clear he hoped his work would be continued with the same commitment by whoever is appointed as his successor.
“It was not my intention to leave FIFA so abruptly,” said Dvorak in a statement.
FIFA said it would soon announce a “new head of FIFA’s medical department, which is in charge of the medical services and the anti-doping program.”
Dvorak’s exit follows that of a string senior managers and employees appointed during Sepp Blatter’s 17-year presidency. Infantino has pledged to cut costs but Dvorak was highly regarded and in addition to medical director was also head of the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC).
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