Jerome Valcke, FIFA Secretary General, Reportedly Involved in Bribery Case

FIFA has another potential mess on its hands after the New York Times' William K. Rashbaum and Matt Apuzzo released a report detailing financial transactions allegedly made by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke that were possibly part of a wider web of bribes across the organization: 

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Jerome Valcke, the soccer organization's secretary general, is the unidentified 'high-ranking FIFA official' who prosecutors say transferred $10 million in 2008 from FIFA to accounts controlled by another soccer official, Jack Warner, the officials said. The payment is a key piece of last week's indictment accusing Mr. Warner of taking a bribe in exchange for helping South Africa secure the right to host the 2010 World Cup.

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Martyn Ziegler of the Press Association (h/t the Daily Mail) reported FIFA's response, which claimed that former finance chief Julio Grondona—who died last year at the age of 82—authorised the payment. However, Ziegler provided crucial evidence suggesting this isn't the case:

FIFA reacted to the document, per Ziegler: "The letter is consistent to our statement where we underlined that the FIFA Finance Committee made the final approval."

Rashbaum and Apuzzo explained that the indictment does not state that Valcke knowingly transferred the money as a bribe, and Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association who also spearheaded South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid, claimed that Valcke used the $10 million as part of a larger fund to grow soccer in the Caribbean.

South Africa's sports minister Fikile Mbalula denied the bribe during a June 3 press conference, per Kevin McCallum of the Star: "We have not bribed anyone to host the 2010 World Cup. Payment for projects cannot be construed as a bribe."

Valcke himself believes he should stay in his post, saying "I'm beyond reproach and I certainly don't feel guilty. So I don't even have to justify that i'm innocent," according to Sky Sports.

This situation likely explains why Valcke will be absent from the opening of the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, which is scheduled to kick off June 6 in Edmonton, Alberta. Valcke officially plans to "attend to FIFA matters in Zurich," according to Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl.

Most soccer followers have always viewed FIFA with a skeptical eye, and the current investigation by the United States Department of Justice continues to shed new light on the institution's affairs.

Sepp Blatter was re-elected Friday as president but signalled intent to step down just four days later, per Richard Conway of BBC 5Live. The future promises a root and branch overhaul of FIFA practices that have led to this point.