The Swiss court rejects the former FIFA CEO’s appeal against the corruption conviction

Former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke has lost his appeal against his corruption conviction over World Cup media rights.

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court upheld the convictions for offenses committed by FIFA’s Secretary General between 2013 and 2015.

The court did not name Valcke, who was FIFA general secretary from 2007 until he was dismissed by the governing body in January 2016.

The Frenchman, who was FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man for many years, was convicted by a Swiss appeals court in 2022 of falsifying documents and taking bribes in a case involving media rights to the World Cup.

The bribes related to a company’s attempt to secure media rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup tournaments, the Supreme Court said in its December 4 ruling published on Friday.

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Valcke was accused of receiving 1.25 million euros ($1.46 million) in payments to help two companies secure the marketing of FIFA’s media rights in Italy and Greece for several tournaments.

Following the 2022 case, the director received a suspended sentence of eleven months and a suspended fine.

The lower court that convicted Valcke could not be accused of violating federal law in connection with the bribery convictions, nor could its decision be considered arbitrary, the Supreme Court said.

Valcke was initially banned from football by FIFA for 12 years in 2016 for ethical violations, including misconduct in World Cup ticket sales, travel expenses and media rights. His ban was later reduced to ten years.

Published on December 19, 2025