FIFA Secretary Jerome Valcke Suspended

FIFA secretary Jerome Valcke has been put on leave and released of his duties until further notice, it has been reported.

Valcke, who last month was considering to stand to be the new president of FIFA, has been accused of being involved in a scheme to sell World Cup tickets at above face value whilst keeping a share of the profits. Although the Frenchman strongly denies the claims, FIFA has taken the action to strip Valcke of his position indefinitely.

A statement from football’s lead governing body read:

“FIFA today announced that its Secretary General Jerome Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties effective immediately until further notice.

“Further, FIFA has been made aware of a series of allegations involving the Secretary General and has requested a formal investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee.”

Former Israel international Benny Alon claimed on Thursday at a press conference that he had approached Valcke with cash in 2013 in a bid to secure tickets for the Brazil World Cup, which he accepted. The plan was allegedly to sell the tickets at a marked-up value, with the two parties sharing the profits.

However, Valcke’s lawyer Barry Berke was quick to squash these claims. He said in a statement: “Mr. Valcke never received or agreed to accept any money or anything else of value from Mr. Alon.

“FIFA entered into an agreement with Mr. Alon’s company, JB Sports Marketing. That agreement and FIFA’s subsequent business dealings with Mr. Alon were vetted and approved by FIFA and its legal counsel.”

These allegations come at a difficult time for FIFA, who are currently under investigation over claims of mass corruption after the indictment of 14 senior members and executives in May.

A FIFA spokesman today announced that Deputy General Secretary Markus Kattner would take temporary charge over Valcke’s office until further notice.