FIFA says Valcke not responsible for $10-million payment in corruption investigation

FIFA denied Tuesday that secretary general Jerome Valcke, the top lieutenant of embattled president Sepp Blatter, had any involvement in the $10-million bank transactions that are central to the bribery investigation that continues to engulf football's governing body.

The New York Times reported Monday that Valcke, 54, was the unidentified "high-ranking FIFA official" whom the U.S. Justice Department claimed was responsible for transferring $10 million to accounts controlled by disgraced former CONCACAF president Jack Warner - the implication being that the money was sent in exchange for support that ultimately helped South Africa win the right to host the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA, not surprisingly, responded less than 24 hours later, denying the involvement of the Frenchman or any other high-ranking officials.

"Neither the Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, nor any other member of FIFA's senior management were involved in the initiation, approval, and implementation of the above project," the governing body said in a statement.

Sports Illustrated has more details:

Instead, the soccer's world governing body says that payment was approved by Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona in 2007. Grondona died last July at age 82 ...

FIFA says the $10-million payment was (the) South African government's "project to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy ...

The payment in question is, of course, part of the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Justice Department that has already led to the indictment of 14 people on bribery, racketeering, and wire-fraud charges.