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Sepp Blatter to help authorities investigate Jerome Valcke

Valcke was once former president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man
Image: Valcke (left) former president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man at FIFA

Sepp Blatter is helping Swiss authorities investigate his former right-hand man Jerome Valcke.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has questioned Valcke and is investigating the former FIFA secretary general for "various acts of criminal mismanagement".

When asked if he felt betrayed by Valcke, Blatter said: "I am representing FIFA now in this case, so I cannot go into that. This is now an open case. All these accusations must be proven first, but I cannot enter into this case because I am an active part of this case."

Blatter was FIFA president until he was banned from football by FIFA's ethics committee last December because of a £1.3m payment to Michel Platini. Valcke, who became Blatter's FIFA secretary general in 2007, was banned from football for 12 years in February.

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Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter has told Sky Sports News HQ he did not pay Michel Platini to stop the Frenchman standing against him

Valcke was found guilty by FIFA's ethics committee of misconduct over the sale of World Cup tickets, abuse of travel expenses, attempting to sell TV rights below their market value and destroying evidence.

Valcke's lawyer Barry Berke said his client had done "absolutely nothing wrong".

Blatter's appeal against his six-year ban from all football-related activity is expected to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport next month.

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Blatter's suspension and a series of corruption scandals ended his hopes of securing the Nobel Peace Prize, not for himself he says, but for FIFA.

"We had a discussion with the Nobel Prize Institute in Oslo. I spoke with them and I said if ever a Nobel Prize would go to sport, give it to football, not a person. Give it to the movement of football, for what football has done and will do in the future, not to a person.

"I have never applied. The IOC applies every year for their president."

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