The Swiss public prosecutor requested, Tuesday, September 22, three years in prison with partial suspension against the former secretary general of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Jérôme Valcke, and twenty-eight months in prison with partial suspension also against the President of BeIN Media and PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, in a case of TV rights related to the future World Cups 2026 and 2030.
These are the first prison sentences required on European soil in the multiple scandals affecting world football, after the conviction in the United States of several former South American leaders.
This trial opened on September 14 before the Federal Criminal Court (TPF) of Bellinzona: in addition to Jérôme Valcke and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the Greek businessman Dinos Deris is also among the defendants.
Under criminal proceedings in Switzerland since 2017, Mr. Al-Khelaïfi is prosecuted for “aggravated unfair management instigation” and could face up to five years in prison. As for Mr. Valcke, ex-number 2 of FIFA, he must answer charges of “repeated aggravated unfair management”, “forgery in titles” and “repeated passive corruption”. Mr. Deris appears, him, in particular for “repeated active corruption. “
“Amicable agreement” between FIFA and Mr. Al-Khelaïfi
The Attorney General of the Swiss Confederation (MPC) accuses Mr. Valcke, in his capacity as FIFA Secretary General, of having received from Mr. Al-Khelaïfi benefits valued between 1.4 and 2.3 million euros, in particular “The exclusive use of Villa Bianca”, in Sardinia, from March 2014 to September 2015.
For investigators, he did ” in return “ of the attribution to the Qatari groups Al-Jazeera and BeIN Media of media rights in the Middle East and North Africa for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. The MPC accuses Mr. Valcke of not having declared these advantages to FIFA and causing him financial damage.
Representative of the MPC at the trial, the prosecutor Joël Pahud considered that Mr. Al-Khelaïfi, “Flagship football personality”, had acted ” by greed “. He stressed “Contempt for justice” posted by the boss of PSG.
MM. Al-Khelaïfi and Valcke benefited from a partial filing of the proceedings against them for “corruption” after FIFA informed the MPC at the end of January that they had found a “Amicable agreement” and a financial arrangement – whose terms remain secret – with the president of PSG and withdrew his complaint filed in December 2016.
In addition, the Swiss justice accuses Mr. Valcke of having received, through a company of which he was the sole beneficial owner, 1.25 million euros from Mr. Deris, as part of the award television rights in Italy and Greece. The MPC requested thirty months in prison, with a partial suspension, against Mr. Deris, who did not appear before the Federal Criminal Court on medical grounds.
Pleadings are scheduled for the next few days. According to our information, the TPF must, in principle, deliver its judgment on October 30.
