FIFA to investigate Paris Saint-Germain’s president

CAIRO –16 October 2017: According to "L'Équipe" newspaper,Paris Saint-Germain`s President wants to testify as soon as possible before the Swiss prosecutor's office.

They accusehim of corruption in the allocation of broadcast rights to the World Cups of 2026 and 2030 for the Middle East and North Africa.

Paris Saint-Germain`s President, who also chairs the powerful television network “BeIn Sports,” met this weekend in Doha, Qatar with his legal advisers, reinforced by the famous French lawyer Francis Szpiner. Szpiner is known for having defended, among others, French President Jacques Chirac.

The president of Paris Saint-Germain is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor of the Swiss Confederation. He, along with the former general secretary of FIFA, Jérôme Valcke, are under investigation for alleged corruption and disloyal management in the management of television rights in the world of football.


Jerome Valcke - Reuters

The private investigation was opened on March 20, 2017, but the prosecution did not report until Thursday October 12. That was the day Valcke testified before the investigators, according to a statement from the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The office of the Prosecutor suspects that a number of crimes may have been committed, including corruption, unfair administration and fraud.

Specifically, the statement indicates that it suspected that Valcke accepted bribes after granting the television rights in several countries of the world-wide ones of 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030.

In the case of beIN Sports` president, the bribes would relate to the World Cup in 2026 and 2030.

In the framework of the investigation, simultaneous registrations were carried out in Spain, France, Greece and Italy.

The Ministry thanked the judicial authorities of these countries for their collaboration.
The office of the Prosecutor recalled that there is another open investigation against Valcke and that elements discovered during the investigations allowed a glimpse into enough illegal behaviors to open the second investigation.