Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court has rejected appeals and upheld the 2022 conviction of former FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke for bribery and forgery related to World Cup media rights. Valcke received a suspended 11-month prison sentence for accepting bribes to aid companies in securing broadcasting deals in Italy and Greece. In a related case, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was acquitted of charges involving the same former official.
The ruling, dated December 4, 2025, and published on December 19, marks the final chapter in a long-running corruption case that has highlighted systemic issues within FIFA during the 2010s. Jérôme Valcke, who served as FIFA's general secretary from June 2007 until his dismissal in January 2016, was initially convicted in June 2022 by Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court Appeals Chamber. The court found him guilty of passive bribery and forging documents in connection with media rights for multiple World Cup tournaments, including the 2026 and 2030 editions.
Investigators determined that Valcke accepted €1.25 million ($1.46 million) in bribes to help two companies secure FIFA's television broadcasting rights in Italy and Greece between 2013 and 2015. A Greek businessman, Dinos Deris, was also convicted of active bribery in the same case and received a 10-month suspended prison sentence. The Supreme Court rejected appeals from both defendants, stating that the lower court's decision did not violate federal law or appear arbitrary.
In a separate but linked proceeding, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris Saint-Germain and director of a media group, was acquitted of aggravated mismanagement charges. This marks his third acquittal in five years on allegations tied to providing Valcke with rent-free use of a villa in Italy from 2013 to 2015. Al-Khelaïfi's lawyers described the outcome as 'a complete vindication.'
Valcke, once a close ally of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, had already faced a 12-year ban from football activities imposed by FIFA in 2016 for ethics violations, later reduced to 10 years. The case underscores the broader FIFA corruption scandals that led to multiple arrests and reforms in global football governance.
