7 Jan 2016

FIFA ethics committee extends Valcke suspension

9:15 am on 7 January 2016

FIFA's ethics watchdog has extended Secretary General Jerome Valcke's suspension from world football as it prepares a ruling over accusations of corruption involving the sale of World Cup tickets

FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke.

FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke. Photo: Photosport

The French administrator has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which is among dozens of allegations rocking football's world governing body, caught up in worst graft scandal of its history.

Investigators for the ethics committee recommended that Valcke be banned for nine years and fined $NZ 150,000.

The committee said in a statement this morning that it's chief judge Hans-Joachim Eckert had suspended Valcke for another 45 days pending a final judgement, after a previous 90-day ban expired.

Valcke was also placed on indefinite leave by FIFA in September.

The allegations against Valcke stem from former Israeli football player Benny Alon telling a news conference in September in Zurich that he agreed in 2013 to pay cash to Valcke to secure plum tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

He said the plan was to then sell the tickets to fans at a markup and split the proceeds with Valcke, who was right-hand man to banned president Sepp Blatter.

Alon said the deal fell through and he never paid the football official.

Blatter has been banned from any involvement in the game for eight years.

Forty-one people and sports entities, including top FIFA officials, have been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for offences including corruption, fraud and money laundering.

-Reuters