FIFA sacks deputy secretary general Kattner

Deputy secretary general Markus Kattner has been sacked by FIFA following “breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities”.

The German has been reported to have been aware of the “disloyal payment” made by then-president Sepp Blatter to Michel Platini in 2011 which resulted in the pair being banned from all football-related activity for six years – the Frenchman’s suspension has since been reduced to four following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Kattner joined FIFA as the finance director in 2003 and had been serving as acting secretary general since January after Jerome Valcke was hit with a 12-year ban after FIFA’s Ethics Committee found him guilty of numerous acts of misconduct.

However, Kattner has now been dismissed by world football’s governing body after an internal investigation uncovered wrongdoing on his part.

“FIFA’s deputy secretary general Markus Kattner has been dismissed from his position effective immediately,” an official statement read.

“FIFA’s internal investigation uncovered breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment contract.”

Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura was announced as the next secretary general at the 66th FIFA Congress this month, assuming the role in June.