Nasser Al-Khelaifi was  on Friday acquitted by a Swiss court of corruption in the allocation of World Cup TV rights, while former FIFA number two Jerome Valcke was handed a suspended sentence for a secondary charge.

“After a relentless four-year campaign against me that ignored the basic facts and the law at every turn – I have finally, fully and completely cleared my name. Today’s verdict is a total vindication. It restores my faith in the rule of law and in due process, after four years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears of my reputation – all of which have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated. I can now devote all my energy to my various roles, which are all focused on building a positive future for world sport – at a time when the industry needs strong leadership the most,” said Nasser Al-Khelaifi