FIFA fires deputy secretary general Kattner

Scandal-plagued FIFA has fired its deputy secretary general, Markus Kattner, with immediate effect, soccer’s governing body said in a statement on Monday (May 23).

The statement said that an internal investigation “uncovered breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment contact.”

FIFA said it would not make any further comment, but it would “continue its cooperation with the relevant authorities.”

Kattner has not been charged with a crime. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

FIFA has been embroiled in a corruption scandal over the past year. Several dozen officials, including former FIFA executive committee members, have been indicted in the United States. So far, at least 15 people and two corporate entities have pleaded guilty in the U.S. cases.

Kattner stepped in as FIFA’s acting secretary general from September until earlier this month to replace Jerome Valcke, who was himself dismissed from the post and later banned by the ethics committee for 12 years.

The 45-year-old Kattner, who holds German and Swiss citizenship, joined FIFA as director of finance in 2003 and took on his present role four years later.