Paris Saint-Germain president and UEFA executive committee member, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has been charged by the office of the Swiss attorney general for financial crimes in connection with the award of media rights to various World Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments.
Former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, has been charged with accepting bribes, several counts of aggravated criminal mismanagement and falsification of documents in the same case.
Al-Khelaifi and another individual were charged with inciting Valcke to commit the aggravated criminal mismanagement. But the PSG boss no longer faces an accusation of bribery.
The PSG president is a major executive at beIN Media group, a broadcast company that is the biggest buyer of UEFA’s television rights.
He also sits on the UEFA executive committee, the organisation’s supreme executive body representing European clubs.
Breaking: The Swiss authorities criminally charge former @FIFAcom Secretary-General Jerome Valcke and @PSG_English boss/ @UEFA exco member Nasser Al-Khelaifi. The statement from the authorities is below… pic.twitter.com/nNxM8TpE51
Responding to the charge yesterday, Al-Khelaifi hit out at leaks, misinformation, a media agenda and materials that had been faked, fabricated, or illegally sourced.
“After an exhaustive three-year investigation, where I have fully and openly cooperated with the Public Prosecutor in Switzerland, I am pleased that all charge of bribery in connection with the 2026 and 2030 World Cups have been dropped,” his statement read.
“As I have said vehemently and repeatedly for three years, the charges have not – and have never had – any basis whatsoever, either in fact or law. It is now – finally – indisputable fact that the 2026 and 2030 agreements were negotiated at arms-lengths [sic] and without any improper influence in any form.
“After the most forensic public, private, lawful and unlawful scrutiny of all my dealings, I have been cleared of all suspicions of bribery and the case has been dismissed definitively and conclusively. While a secondary technical charge remains outstanding, I have every expectation that this will be proven completely groundless and without any substance whatsoever, in the same way as the primary case.
“While I have cooperated with all authorities during the legal process, the three year investigation has been characterized by constant leaks, misinformation and a seemingly relentless agenda to smear my reputation in the media – completely irrespective of the facts and the notion of due process.
“For that reason, I have requested the relevant Swiss authorities to open a criminal enquiry into the conduct of the investigation. I also reserve the right to take action against certain media who for three years have repeatedly published factually-unsupported and highly damaging articles, often based on illegally-sourced and – quite remarkably in some cases – faked and fabricated materials, to satisfy their narrative of my supposed guilt.”