FIFA Ethics Committee extends Valcke ban

The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee has extended general secretary Jerome Valcke’s suspension from all football-related activities by 45 days.

Valcke’s initial 90-day ban came to an end on Tuesday, but investigatory chamber chairman Cornel Borbely called on that suspension to be extended, with the adjudicatory chamber now granting Borbely’s request.

“The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr Hans-Joachim Eckert has decided to extend the suspension of Mr Jerome Valcke by 45 days, at the request of the investigatory chamber,” a statement read.

“The extension of the suspension starts from today [Wednesday January 6].”

Valcke has 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, with the investigatory chamber calling for Valcke to be banned for nine years over allegations of corruption.

“In his final report, the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee recommended imposing a sanction of a nine-year ban and a fine of CHF 100,000 on Mr Valcke,” read a FIFA statement on Tuesday.

“Until a formal decision is taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, Mr Valcke is presumed innocent.”

Valcke – the right-hand man to suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter since 2007 – has denied the allegations made against him, claiming FIFA is trying to improve its damaged public image by placing the blame upon him.

“The Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee has chosen to ignore Jerome Valcke’s exemplary conduct and extraordinary contributions during his long tenure as secretary general,” a statement from Valcke’s lawyers read.

“Today’s press release is nothing more than a self-serving public relations effort to wrongly attack Mr Valcke in a desperate attempt to try to prove that FIFA can police itself.

“Mr Valcke did absolutely nothing wrong as any independent and fair review of the facts would establish.”