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PSG owner and former FIFA no.2 to face Swiss trial in September

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke ...



PSG owner and former FIFA no.2...
Soccer

PSG owner and former FIFA no.2 to face Swiss trial in September

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke are to stand trial in Switzerland in September. 

Al-Khelaifi, Valcke and a third unnamed man will be tried as part of a corruption case linked to the awarding of World Cup television rights.

The Swiss federal court accuses the trio of criminal mismanagement, incitement to criminal mismanagement, falsifying documents and corruption.

It all relates to the awarding of broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups to the Al-Khelaifi-run BeIN Sports.

The charges focus on Valcke's use of a luxury villa on the Italian island of Sardinia rent free in 2014 and 2015, around the time rights contracts were being awarded for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments.

Al-Khelaifi settled a related bribery case in February, paying nearly €1million meaning Swiss prosecutors dropped the case.

The Qatari businessman's lawyers say the case against their client is "completely unfounded", and insisted the charge against him was "manifestly artificial."

They also indicated that they had requested the recusal of prosecutors in the case and had filed a criminal complaint related to leaks, "making it uncertain whether the case will proceed at all."

The Swiss justice system indicated last week that it had rejected three requests for recusal filed by Mr. Al-Khelaifi.

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FIFA Jerome Valcke Nasser Al-Khelaïfi PSG Paris Saint Germain