FIFA investigators ask for 9-year Jerome Valcke ban

Lausanne: FIFA investigators on Tuesday requested a nine-year ban against the body's suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke, who was provisionally suspended from football in October for 90 days over corruption allegations.

The investigatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee, world football's in-house prosecutor, also asked for Valcke's temporary suspension to be extended for 45 days while FIFA's judges weigh evidence against the organisation's former second-in-command.

In a statement, FIFA prosecutors accused Valcke of violating "the general rules of conduct," including "duty of disclosure, cooperating and reporting conflict of interest," while "accepting gifts and other benefits", among other charges. Investigators also called for the 55-year-old Frenchman to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss franc ($99,000, 92,000 euros).

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

He had previously been accused of being party to a potential USD 10-million (9.25-million-euros) bribe paid to former head of the North and Central America football governing body CONCACAF, Jack Warner. Valcke's suspension was due to expire at midnight today.