Clearly Valcke did not get that stitch in time

FIFA Recommends Nine-Year Ban for Valcke

The investigator for FIFA’s independent ethics committee on Tuesday recommended a nine-year ban for the organization’s former secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, who served as Sepp Blatter’s top deputy for nearly a decade before he was placed on leave in September amid a corruption inquiry.

The investigator, Cornel Borbély, also recommended that Mr. Valcke’s provisional suspension, which was to expire Tuesday, be extended by 45 days, as well as a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (about $99,000). The judge of the ethics committee, Hans-Joachim Eckert, will issue a final ruling on the recommended punishment.

Mr. Valcke, 55, has been on disciplinary leave from FIFA since September, when he was accused of being involved in a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets for personal profit. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the NYT.

Kicking Back Comments: While I expect Valcke to both deny any wrongdoing and appeal the ban, FIFA continues to step up to clean up its act. Or at least remove the bad actors that inhabited these offices previously.

One area I do not understand is, here is a person who is suspected and has been suspended for pilfering at least $10M, yet his fine is only about $100K, an order of magnitude less. Why not make Valcke pay back the full amount?

Also, while FIFA is starting, just starting, to grow a spine on some of these issues, I am far more interested in both the Qatar debacle and also what permanent reforms will be put in place to prevent something like this from occurring again.

That will be the true acid test for me.

Welcome Back!

Fifa lifts a global ban on Cameroon for government interference

Fifa has lifted its global ban on Cameroon after a normalisation committee began its work on Monday to run the country's football federation.

It is being headed by former Minister of Education, Sports, Joseph Owona.

Earlier this month, Fifa banned Cameroon for governmental interference into the running of the country's football. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments: Does skimming pond scum off the top make the water any more drinkable?

This is a general statement of course, but one that ran through my mind here.

NO POPPIES FOR YOU!

EXCLUSIVE: Poppy ban on England kit enforced 'in case we upset Germans'

FIFA have insisted that England cannot wear poppies against Spain at Wembley — in case they one day meet Germany around the time of Remembrance Sunday.

Football’s governing body do not want to create a ‘provocative’ political precedent which would potentially cloud a future match because of historical difference.

The FA had their request for poppies to be sewn into England’s kit for Saturday’s match against the world champions declined by FIFA, to the dismay of war veterans and England’s governing body. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Mail Online.

Kicking Back Comments: Overly PC, or reasonable look at the big picture? Not sure on this one, but I am never a fan of failing to remember a veteran. War happens and I figure we could remember the fallen of each side in a respectful way to assure it does not happen again.