FIFA ethics committee bans Valcke for 12 years

FIFA banned former Secretary General Jerome Valcke, once one of the global soccer body's most powerful figures, for 12 years from all soccer-related activities after its investigation found acts of potential misconduct, its ethics committee said on Friday.

Zurich-based FIFA in January fired Valcke amid alleged corruption involving World Cup ticket sales.

"During the course of the investigations, several other acts of potential misconduct arose, in particular abuse of the FIFA travel expenses policies and regulations, cases involving related-parties issues and the sale of TV and other media rights, and the destruction of evidence," the committee said in a statement.

FIFA's ethics judges announced last month they had opened formal proceedings against Valcke, who had already been suspended by the soccer body's ethics watchdog. Valcke has denied wrongdoing in the past.