Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s often-outspoken secretary general, all but confirmed yesterday that he will be leaving his job when Sepp Blatter is replaced as president of world soccer’s governing body next February.
Valcke, a 54-year-old Frenchman, has been in the job since 2007.
“If I was the next president of FIFA then I would have a new secretary general, so yes, whoever becomes the next FIFA president should have a new secretary general,” he told a news conference in Russia before today’s preliminary round draw for the 2018 World Cup.
“It is the most important relationship for any organisation, one of the key functions in any institution, and so regarding the future I could have some privacy from whatever questions you are asking,” he added, appearing almost relieved.
FIFA is in the throes of the biggest crisis in its 111-year history with the FBI and Swiss authorities investigating allegations of corruption going back decades.
“As the head of the administration I can be proud of what the administration has done and I don’t think we have ever been part of the stories around FIFA including the commercial agreements we have signed,” Valcke said.
“I don’t believe there have been any wrong-doings by the administration and I don’t think I’m involved or have anything to do in this case.
“I am responsible for my work, my duty, to implement the decisions of Congress and the executive committee and I have done that,” added Valcke, who will conduct the World Cup preliminary round draw which is being televised live in 170 countries.
Valcke has had a chequered career at FIFA which he joined in 2003 as marketing director but was fired in 2006 for his part in botched sponsorship deals with credit card rivals MasterCard and Visa.
He was dismissed when a court ruled that FIFA had “lied repeatedly” during World Cup sponsorship negotiations with MasterCard, but eight months later he was re-hired as secretary general.
The most recent controversy he faced was in 2008 when a letter to Valcke was published which requested him to transfer a $10 million payment from South African officials to CONCACAF.
It was alleged that the payment was a bribe to disgraced former CONCACAF president Jack Warner in exchange for votes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.
Moscow opener
Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium will host both the opening match and final of the 2018 World Cup after the match schedule was confirmed by FIFA yesterday.
Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Sochi, Samara will be the quarter-final venues while St Petersburg and Moscow will stage the semi-finals.
Russia will play in the opening match on June 14. The final will be held on July 15.