FIFA suspended its top official Jerome Valcke and ordered an investigation into alleged unethical conduct today, throwing world soccer's scandal-scarred governing body into further turmoil.
Valcke, FIFA's secretary general for the past eight years under President Sepp Blatter, was hours earlier the subject of allegations over a deal for 2014 World Cup ticket sales on the black market.
"FIFA today announced that its Secretary General Jerome Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties effective immediately until further notice," it said in a brief statement which did not specify details."
Further, FIFA has been made aware of a series of allegations involving the secretary general and has requested a formal investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee."A call to Valcke's mobile phone was not answered today.
Earlier Thursday, a former FIFA ticketing partner made allegations about being supplied by Valcke to sell top-tier World Cup tickets at three times face value.
