The appeal against the president of beIN Media and Paris-Saint-Germain, Nasser al-Khelaïfi (pictured above), and the former number two at FIFA, Jérôme Valcke, which began on Monday 7 March, continued on Tuesday in the Swiss courts. And it took a nasty turn for the two defendants. The federal prosecutor, Cristina Castellote, requested prison sentences against the two men: 35 months for Jérôme Valcke, 28 months for Nasser al-Khelaïfi. According to the magistrate, the two accused established a “corrupt arrangement“, a secret pact behind FIFA’s back. Jérôme Valcke had exchanged a 5 million euro villa bought at the end of 2013 in Sardinia for his support of the beIN channel for the acquisition of the broadcasting rights in North Africa and the Middle East for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup. The two men were not convicted in the first instance, but their appeal trial this week at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona may prove less favourable. The hearing continues on Wednesday with the defence case.
