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EX- GENERAL SECRETARY VALCKE COMPLAINS OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS SINCE LOSING FIFA JOB

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Jérôme Valcke spoke of his financial difficulties during the second day of the trial in Switzerland.

Jérôme Valcke told a Swiss court of his financial difficulties since being sacked from his role as FIFA secretary general during the second day of his television rights corruption trial.

Valcke said he had struggled “with no income” and had been forced to sell expensive items such as his yacht and jewellery after losing his job in 2016.

The Frenchman took the stand after a last-ditch attempt from his lawyers to get the case dismissed was rejected by the three judges.

Valcke’s defence team argued the trial was “muddied” and “contaminated” following revelations of secret meetings between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.

The 59-year-old is standing trial after being charged with accepting bribes, several counts of aggravated criminal mismanagement and falsification of documents in connection with the awarding of media rights for various World Cup and Confederations Cup tournaments.

Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been charged with inciting Valcke to commit aggravated criminal mismanagement and is also on trial.

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Valcke, who was banned from football by FIFA for 10 years, took the stand to complain of his financial problems since his exile from the sport.

He claimed he has been unable to open a bank account in Europe since 2017 and accused FIFA of “polluting” his attempts to make a fresh start.

“Without work, with a family, I assure you that the money burns very quickly,” he said.

“I have started an agriculture project in a country and I hope that the harvests will provide income in the coming months.”

Al-Khelaifi, the beIN chairman and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, is alleged to have provided Valcke with exclusive use of a luxury villa in Sardinia.

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Prosecutors claim this has been linked to beIN extending its Middle East and North Africa broadcasting rights for the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups.

Both men, who face up to five years in jail if convicted, have denied the charges.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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