The year began for Fifa on Tuesday as its annus horribilis ended after its ethics committee confirmed Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man was facing a nine-year ban from football.
Jérôme Valcke, Blatter’s suspended secretary general, was also being pursued for a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (£67,520) over several alleged offences, including his purported links to the black-market sale of World Cup tickets and a $10 million (£6.8m) bribe South Africa are claimed to have paid to host the tournament.
Valcke was formally accused of violating six articles of the crisis-plagued organisation’s code of ethics, including those governing conflicts of interest and the offering and accepting of gifts and other benefits.
His fate will be determined by Fifa’s head judge, Hans-Joachim Eckert.
Valcke was provisionally suspended in September after allegations were made claiming he planned to benefit from black-market ticket sales at the last World Cup.
His 90-day ban is due to expire at midnight on Tuesday morning but a 45-day extension was requested ahead of his eventual hearing.
Valcke, who has denied any wrongdoing, was also placed on indefinite leave by Fifa following the ticket-touting claims pending his planned exit as secretary general next month.
Emails and documents were released in September suggesting the Frenchman was aware that a Swiss marketing company was selling World Cup and Confederation Cup tickets for almost five times their face value.
The files show Valcke signed off contracts with Swiss firm JB Sports Marketing AG for category one tickets for a number of matches. The company also claims it entered into a profit-sharing agreement with the Frenchman – though no money changed hands.
Valcke, who was heavily criticised by a New York judge in 2006 over another Fifa scandal, strongly denies asking for or receiving any money from JB Sports.
The allegations are also being investigated by the Attorney General of Switzerland after Fifa provided Valcke’s e-mails to prosecutors following his suspension.
The ticket-touting allegations proved his undoing months after he was implicated in having helped facilitate a $10 million payment to disgraced former vice-president Jack Warner from South Africa’s successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup.
Sources close to Valcke said he believed his decision not to run for the Fifa presidency – and a doomed plan to boost Blatter’s image – led to his suspension.
A week beforehand, Valcke told Blatter that he wanted to end his contract early and had been trying to negotiate a multi-million pound pay-off.
A year that sent Fifa into meltdown ended two weeks ago with bans for Fifa president Blatter and Uefa counterpart Platini, both of whom have vowed to appeal.
Platini is desperate to overturn in suspension in time to run to succeed Blatter at next month’s Fifa presidential election.
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