Jérôme Valcke, a longtime ally to suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter, has been dismissed from his post as the secretary general of soccer's world governing body.
Valcke was initially suspended from his post by FIFA's ethics committee last fall, following allegations that he was involved in a scheme to profit from World Cup ticket sales.
Acting Secretary General Dr. Markus Kattner will continue in the role, FIFA says.
FIFA banned both Valcke and Blatter for 90 days back in October, citing an inquiry into allegations of improper payments and mismanagement of the powerful organization's finances.
FIFA officials have said a new leadership election will take place in late February.
As the Two-Way reported at the time of Valcke's suspension:
"FIFA has been under global pressure for its alleged rampant corruption, which culminated in the indictment of 14 FIFA officials and the arrest of seven in May on charges including bribery, racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud. Valcke was not named in those documents, though he was accused of transferring $10 million as part of an alleged bribe to help South Africa win the right to host the 2010 World Cup. While he was not prosecuted in that instance, these newest allegations were enough to prompt FIFA to put him on leave. This action against Valcke, who was FIFA President Sepp Blatter's right-hand man since 2007, casts further suspicion on Blatter himself who has long been suspected of corruption."Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
