Jerome Valcke has been sacked by FIFA as secretary general of the world governing body after ethics charges were brought against him over World Cup ticket sales.
The Frenchman, who was Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man since 2007, had been suspended since September after allegations that he was involved in a ticket touting operation at the 2014 World Cup.
Last week, FIFA’s ethics committee opened formal proceedings against Valcke, announcing it recommended a nine-year ban for the Frenchman on charges of conflict of interest and giving or receiving gifts.
FIFA has released the following statement: ‘The FIFA Emergency Committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jérôme Valcke from the position of FIFA Secretary General with immediate effect. Jérôme Valcke is therefore no longer the Secretary General of FIFA.
‘Jerome 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 Jerome 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.”
The employment relationship between FIFA and Jérôme Valcke has also been terminated.
Valcke had strongly denied any wrongdoing, saying his conduct had always been ‘exemplary’.
But a meeting of FIFA’s emergency committee has now decided to dismiss him from the organisation.
‘The employment relationship between FIFA and Jerome Valcke has also been terminated.
The Frenchman is facing a nine-year ban after an ethics investigation considered several alleged offences, including being connected to the black-market sales of World Cup tickets.
The ethics committee’s investigatory chamber recommended a nine-year ban and a 100,000 Swiss francs (£67,500) fine as it passed the case to the adjudicatory arm, headed by the German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, for a final decision.
In December Blatter and Michel Platini, the Uefa president who was his heir apparent, were banned from football for eight years following an investigation into a £1.35m “disloyal payment”. Both men claimed to be innocent.
Valcke has been suspended since 17 September, but a meeting of Fifa’s emergency committee has now decided to dismiss him for the second time from the organisation.