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PSG chief expects to be cleared of corruption charges

Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he expected to be cleared of all corruption charges after being indicted in Switzerland, along with Fifa's former secretary general Jerome Valcke, yesterday.

The Swiss attorney general's office (OAG) said in a statement that the two had been charged "in connection with the award of media rights to various World Cup and Fifa Confederations Cup tournaments".

A third, unnamed suspect in the case - described by Swiss prosecutors as "a businessman in the sports rights sector" - was also indicted.

But Al-Khelaifi, who is also the boss of Qatari television channel beIN Sports, said the prosecutors had already dropped charges in connection with the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.

"While a secondary technical charge remains outstanding, I have every expectation that this will be proven completely unfounded and without any substance whatsoever, in the same way as the primary case," he said in a statement.

Al-Khelaifi was alleged to have given inappropriate gifts to Valcke - including rent-free access to a luxury property - in order to secure broadcast rights to prestigious events, including the World Cup.

Valcke's use of the luxury villa, which was for 18 months, would have cost between 900,000 euros (S$1.4m) and about 1.8 million euros in rent, the OAG said .- AFP

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