Suspended FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke will learn his fate on Tuesday when the world football governing body’s internal court meets to discuss his case.Valcke was suspended for 90 days from all football related activity on October 8, meaning his ban is due to end on Tuesday. But FIFA’s court could decide to extend his suspension by another 45 days. Valcke had already been accused of being party to a potential $10 million (9.25 million euros) bribe paid to former head of the North and Central America football governing body CONCACAF, Jack Warner, before he was then suspended by FIFA in September over a ticketing scam, in which he was accused of selling World Cup tickets on the black market at above their face value. Even if his suspension is not extended, however, he could not return to work at FIFA as he has been suspended indefinitely by the world football governing body until further notice. The accusations against Valcke came from emails sent to the British press by Israeli former professional footballer Benny Alon, although the 55-year-old Frenchman strenuously denied any wrongdoing, describing the claims as “fabricated and outrageous”. Valcke was previously kicked out of FIFA in 2006 over a scandal involving FIFA’s long-time sponsorship partner MasterCard. Valcke was found to have negotiated with MasterCard’s rival VISA in violation of the former company’s right of first negotiation, a mistake that cost FIFA $90 million in a settlement. Yet six months later, Valcke was hired by FIFA president Sepp Blatter as his effective number two, the general secretary. The same day that Valcke was suspended in October, both Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini, also a FIFA vice-president, were given 90-day bans, although both have subsequently been banned for eight years as part of the wide-ranging corruption investigation into scandal-tainted FIFA. By AFP |
