Football: Fifa secretary-general Valcke's suspension extended by 45 days

Fifa will extend secretary-general Jerome Valcke's temporary suspension for 45 more days. PHOTO: REUTERS

ZURICH (AFP) - Fifa ethics judges agreed on Wednesday (Jan 6) to extend secretary-general Jerome Valcke's temporary suspension for 45 more days, after investigators urged them to take more time to weigh corruption allegations against the world football governing body's former second-in-command.

"The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr Hans-Joachim Eckert has decided to extend the suspension of Mr Jerome Valcke by 45 days," it said in a statement. "The extension of the suspension starts from today."

Valcke's initial suspension began in mid-September and officially expired at midnight.

The investigatory chamber of Fifa's ethics committee had called for the extension on Tuesday, requesting more time to evaluate the evidence against Valcke.

Ultimately, they said, they want to see the suspended secretary-general banned from football for nine years.

The investigators also called for the 55-year-old Frenchman to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (S$142,000).

Valcke's suspension followed allegations of involvement in a ticketing scam, in which he was accused of selling Brazil World Cup tickets on the black market at above their face value.

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