Jerome Valcke: Proceedings opened against Fifa chief

Jerome Valcke has been suspended by Fifa's ethics committee since October

Fifa's ethics committee has opened formal proceedings against suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke.

It follows the football world governing body's recommendation that Valcke, outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man since 2007, is banned from the sport for nine years and fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£68,000).

The Frenchman, 55, was alleged to be implicated in a scheme to profit from the sale of World Cup tickets.

Valcke has denied any wrongdoing.

Fifa's ethics committee said on Thursday it had to decided to open "formal adjudicatory proceedings" against Valcke after studying a report submitted by its investigatory chamber.

He had been provisionally suspended from all football on 8 October for 90 days and on Wednesday - the day after that ban expired - the ban was extended by 45 days.

Valcke has been accused of being party to a potential $10m (£6.8m) bribe paid to Jack Warner, the former head of the North and Central America football governing body Concacaf, in return for his vote and backing to South Africa's successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

He denies the allegations.