After a lengthy nine-year investigation into alleged black market World Cup ticket dealings, the case against former FIFA official Jerome Valcke has finally been closed. The Swiss attorney general’s office announced on Friday their decision to end criminal proceedings related to a proposed ticket deal for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This closure marks a significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding Valcke and FIFA.
This decision comes after several other criminal cases involving Valcke, stemming from a wider Swiss investigation into FIFA’s business practices, were also dropped. However, one case involving Valcke remains under appeal after he was found guilty on some charges and acquitted of others in two trials. The Swiss federal prosecution office has appealed against the verdict from June 2022. In addition, proceedings related to the awarding of media rights, involving Valcke and other individuals, are still pending before the Federal Supreme Court.
One of the cases, which revealed Valcke’s use of a Qatari-owned vacation home on an Italian island, implicated Nasser al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain president. Al-Khelaifi was acquitted of inciting Valcke on two separate occasions, in 2020 and 2022. The initial allegations against Valcke in the tickets case were made by businessman Benny Alon. As a result, Valcke was suspended from his position as FIFA Secretary General in September 2015 and ultimately fired four months later. FIFA also issued a lifetime ban from football activities. Valcke’s lawyers, Patrick Hunziker and Elisa Bianchetti, issued a statement declaring that this closure represents the expected outcome, signifying his complete innocence.
Valcke’s tenure at FIFA spanned from 2007 to 2015, during which he worked alongside long-time president Sepp Blatter. Both individuals were ultimately ousted in the wake of extensive investigations by the United States and Swiss authorities into corruption within international football. These investigations also included separate proceedings related to payments made to former FIFA vice president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago. These proceedings involved a $10 million payment from South Africa, the 2010 World Cup host, channeled through FIFA, and a $1 million loan later waived.
Meanwhile, Zurich prosecutors closed a separate criminal complaint filed by FIFA’s current management regarding their football museum, which opened in 2016. Despite the closure of these cases, Valcke, at 64 years old, remains banned from all football activities by FIFA until 2032. This case serves as a stark reminder of the long-standing corruption allegations that have plagued FIFA and the complex web of investigations that have unfolded over the years.
