Fifa have released a statement confirming it has sacked general secretary Jerome Valcke.

It said: "The Fifa emergency committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of Fifa secretary general with immediate effect. Jerome Valcke is therefore no longer the secretary general of Fifa.

"The employment relationship between Fifa and Jerome Valcke has also been terminated."    

Valcke, who denies wrongdoing, has been accused of being party , externalto 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.  

Image source, epa

Jerome Valcke, who has been sacked by Fifa, was already suspended by world football's governing body after he was alleged to be implicated in a scheme to profit from the sale of World Cup tickets.

Frenchman Valcke, who was outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man, was provisionally suspended from all football on 8 October for 90 days and last week that ban was extended by 45 days.

Valcke denies any wrongdoing.

Image source, EPA

Fifa have sacked general secretary Jerome Valcke, according to reports.

Image source, Reuters

His Crystal Palace side may have become only the second Premier League team to lose to Aston Villa this season but Alan Pardew will be upset if the bottom club are relegated.

"I hope they stay up, they're a great club," he said.

"The Premier League would not want to lose a club of this magnitude. I hope they can resolve it."  

Villa remain eight points from safety with 17 games remaining. 

Image source, afp

So, what do you reckon about God Save The Queen potentially being ditched? And what would you replace it with?

We don't only want to hear from the English, either. The use of what is supposed to be a UK-wide anthem grates with plenty of Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish, so what would you rather hear them sing?

Tweet on #bbcsportsday or let us know on the BBC Sport Facebook page, external

We know how much you all love House of Commons bills but this one might just pique your interest...

MPs are to debate on Wednesday whether to replace God Save The Queen as England's national anthem for sporting events. Labour MP for Chesterfield Toby Perkins is the man behind the bill...

It's January so you should head to our gossip page for all the latest football rumours.

Among them, the Daily Star, external claim Manchester United United want to sign Valencia's Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes, while Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic has agreed a one-year contract extension at the club, according to the Sun., external

Image source, Getty Images

Among those celebrating on Wednesday are former Aston Villa and Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich (44), two time major-winning golfer Mark O'Meara (59), Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal (34) and Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast Max Whitlock (23).

The good news for West Ham fans: Your team are up to fifth in the Premier League:

The bad news: Andy Carroll is injured again and will be assessed on Wednesday.

Carroll, 27, was substituted with a hamstring problem in the Hammers' 3-1 win at Bournemouth.

"I don't understand it because we're resting the players. We're not training a lot. We can only hope it won't last that long," said West Ham boss Slaven Bilic.

Carroll has scored two goals in West Ham's past four games after returning in September following seven months out following knee surgery.

Image source, AFP

Former England winger Mark Cueto has described Danny Cipriani's expected omission from Eddie Jones' first England squad as a "massive shame".

Cueto, who won 55 England caps and was a team-mate of fly-half Cipriani's at Sale, added: "It shows once your labelled it's very hard to get rid of it. 

"His physicality and the defensive part of his game have been tagged as weak. If anything he's putting his body on the line. You add to that his attacking game... there's probably no one better with ball in hand."

Image source, Getty Images

Britain's Brydan Klein has lost in the first round of Australian Open qualifying, beaten 7-5 6-2 by Germany's Peter Gojowczyk in Melbourne.

Image source, Getty Images

How would you feel about your team upping sticks and relocating nearly 2,000 miles away?

That's the scenario for supporters of the St Louis Rams who will move to Los Angeles following a vote of NFL owners.

The Rams had been vying with the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders for the chance to move to LA, which has been without an NFL franchise for 21 years.

The Rams owner Stan Kroenke - the majority shareholder of Premier League leaders Arsenal - called it a "bittersweet" moment and said it had been the "most difficult process of my professional career".

Image source, Reuters

Marking your card, there are seven Premier League matches this evening, with leaders Arsenal - who should have Mesut Ozil back in the team - taking on Liverpool at Anfield and second-placed Leicester at Tottenham again, three days after facing them in the FA Cup.

Stay with us throughout he day for all the build-up.

Image source, AFP

World number two Andy Murray was delighted by the qualifying wins for fellow Britons Dan Evans and James Ward.

The tournament itself starts on Monday.

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent

Image source, Rex Features

Dan Evans and James Ward have both won their opening qualifying matches at the Australian Open, on a day where temperatures in Melbourne reached 42 degrees Celsius.

Evans beat top seed Luca Vanni 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, while Ward beat Peter Polansky by the same margin despite suffering a back spasm late in the first set.

Play was suspended due to the extreme heat, with a third Briton - Brydan Klein - taken off court at 1-1 in the opening set against Peter Gojowczyk.

Action has resumed and it's not looking good for Klein - he is currently a set and a double break down.

Sonja McLaughlan
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Cipriani will be a high-profile omission when coach Eddie Jones names his first England squad later on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old has been in good form for Sale Sharks but Jones is expected to name George Ford and Owen Farrell as his fly-halves. 

There could be as many as seven new caps in the squad, with a number of established players failing to make the cut.

Jones will name a 33-man squad with the Six Nations Championship starting next month.

Remember all that pre-season angst about the need for West Ham to remain in the Premier League before their move to the Olympic Stadium?

Well, Slaven Bilic's side are now in fifth place in the division after Dimitri Payet inspired them to come from behind to beat Bournemouth.

Harry Arter had given the hosts the lead but a splendid Payet free-kick and a brace from Enner Valencia moved the Hammers to within a point of Tottenham in fourth.

Image source, Getty Images

After a 157-day wait, bottom club Aston Villa finally secured their second win of the campaign and their first under Remi Garde.

An awful mistake by Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, when he allowed Joleon Lescott's header to squirm from his grasp and trickle over the line, moved Villa to within four points of second-bottom Sunderland.

Image source, Getty Images

And here's Wayne Hennessey committing the howler...

He was probably having nightmares about it last night.

Image source, Reuters

Conor McNamara
BBC Radio 5 live

How about this for an alternative match report...

Image source, Conor McNamara