FIFA fires secretary general Valcke - Capital Sports
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Features

FIFA fires secretary general Valcke

Suspended FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, pictured on May 30, 2015, is accused of violating "the general rules of conduct" (AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)

Suspended FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, pictured on May 30, 2015, is accused of violating “the general rules of conduct” (AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)

ZURICH, January 13 – FIFA has fired secretary general Jerome Valcke, who is under investigation for misconduct, world football’s governing body said Wednesday.

The former right-hand man to Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president banned for eight years, has been accused of aiding a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets on the black market.

“The FIFA emergency committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA secretary general with immediate effect,” said a statement.

It said all of the Frenchman’s employment with FIFA had been “terminated.”

Valcke was suspended on September 17 after the ethics committee started an inquiry into allegations that he helped sell 2014 World Cup tickets on the black market. The suspension was renewed on January 6.

He has also been linked to a $10 million payment made by South Africa to corruption-tainted former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner. US investigators reportedly believe this was a bribe to secure votes for the 2010 World Cup.

Markus Kattner is acting secretary general of a body currently fighting scandals on several fronts. US authorities have charged 39 individuals — including top FIFA executive members — and two companies over bribery in football contracts.

Blatter is under criminal investigation in Switzerland for criminal mismanagement over a two million Swiss francs ($2 million/1.8 million euro) payment to FIFA vice president Michel Platini. Both have been banished from football for eight years.

Swiss prosecutors are also investigating the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Valcke is no stranger to controversy having also been sacked in 2006 over a battle with credit card sponsors Mastercard.

Valcke negotiated a deal with Visa that excluded long-time sponsors Mastercard. FIFA had to pay $90 million in compensation.

A New York judge said Valcke had lied to both companies. He was sacked as marketing director, but after the compensation deal, Blatter reappointed him as his deputy.

Advertisement

More on Capital Sports

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – DStv and GOtv subscribers are in for a treat of the world’s best football this week as the 2020-21...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – There is light at the end of the tunnel. After failed promises over the last three years since its...

Football

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – Gentrix Shikangwa scored with two minutes left as Vihiga Queens sailed to the final of the CECAFA regional qualifiers...

NFL

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Kenya’s history making Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in America’s National Football League (NFL), is now living...

© 2024 Capital Digital Media. Capital Group Limited. All Rights Reserved