They relate to taking kickbacks in negotiations for World Cup broadcast rights in Italy and Greece. The prosecution case against Al-Khelaïfi focused on beIN's renewal of World Cup rights in the Middle East and North Africa with FIFA around the time the Italian villa was bought. FIFA was also awaiting, then dealing with the fallout from, its ethics committee's investigation into the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests. Valcke's convictions were announced in the same week that former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was on trial in the same Bellinzona courthouse in a separate case. Verdicts are due on July 8 in that case, which relates to a Blatter-approved FIFA payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) to Platini in 2011.

Source: Indian Express June 25, 2022 02:47 UTC