BREAKING NEWS: Valcke sacked by FIFA

Jerome Valcke has been sacked from his position as FIFA secretary general, world football’s governing body has confirmed.

The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee recently opened formal proceedings against the 55-year-old – who was also provisionally suspended from all football-related activities – over allegations of corruption and they have now decided to cancel the Frenchman’s contract.

Valcke is alleged to have been linked to a scheme that intended to sell tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil at above their face value, prior to the contract being cancelled before any were sold.

The former right-hand man to suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied the allegations, but world football’s governing body has decided to take action against him.

“The FIFA Emergency Committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA Secretary General with immediate effect,” an official statement read.

“Valcke is therefore no longer the Secretary General of FIFA.  The employment relationship between FIFA and Valcke has also been terminated.

“Valcke was provisionally released from his duties as Secretary General on 17 September 2015, and on 7 January 2016, formal adjudicatory proceedings were opened against him by the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert. 

“The provisional suspension imposed on Valcke on 8 October 2015 and extended on 6 January 2016 continues to be valid.

“The duties of the Secretary General will continue to be assumed by the Acting Secretary General, Dr Markus Kattner.”

Valcke’s dismissal is the latest episode in the ongoing saga at FIFA, with Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini both being banned from all football-related activity for eight years last month in relation to a payment of two million Swiss francs (£1.3million) made by FIFA, and authorised by Blatter, to Platini in February 2011.

Blatter and Platini have since appealed their suspension, while the investigatory chamber intends to appeal against the decision as well, seeking a life ban for the disgraced duo instead.

Platini opted to pull out of the race for the FIFA presidency following the recent turn of events, with Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale standing in the election on February 26.