Formal proceedings begun against FIFA Secretary General Valcke

World soccer body FIFA's ethics committee said on Thursday it opened formal proceedings against Secretary General Jerome Valcke, after its investigators recommended a nine-year ban against him.

Investigators for the ethics committee recommended on Tuesday that Valcke be banned from world soccer for nine years and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($99,000).

The committee is preparing a ruling over accusations of corruption involving the sale of World Cup tickets.

Image: Jerome Valcke

Photograph: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images