Jerome Valcke, the suspended FIFA Secretary General, faces being banned from football for nine years on the recommendation of the ethics committee of the game’s world governing body.

FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday in Berlin that the Chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, Cornel Borbely, has concluded his investigation.

It said Borbely  “recommended imposing a sanction of a nine-year ban and a fine of 99,000 dollars’’ on Valcke.

FIFA said the fine was for a number of offences including “alleged violation of the general rules of conduct’’ and “accepting gifts and other benefits’’.

Valcke was initially suspended by FIFA for 90 days in October and as that sanction expires Tuesday, Borbely requested an extension of a further 45 days.

This is for the case to be passed to the adjudicatory chamber, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert of the ethics committee.

In July, Valcke said he expected to leave football’s world governing body when a new president is elected to replace Joseph Blatter at an extraordinary congress next month.

Blatter, who won a record fifth term on May 31 but had to quit a few days later amidst corruption allegations, is facing an eight-year ban.

FIFA has been facing corruption probes by investigators in the U.S. and Switzerland, where the organisation is based.

Valcke, a close confidante of Blatter, has been secretary general since 2007 and has previously denied any wrongdoing.

(dpa/NAN)