Swiss open criminal proceedings against leading ex-FIFA official (Reuters)

By Brian Homewood ZURICH (Reuters) - Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, banned for 12 years by soccer's governing body for ethics violations, is facing criminal proceedings by the Swiss attorney general's office, the law enforcement agency said Thursday. Valcke, whose job was to ensure the smooth running of FIFA and in particular its flagship World Cup tournament, was right-hand man to banned former president Sepp Blatter for nearly eight years.. He is suspected of criminal mismanagement and other offences, Michael Lauber's office said in the statement which added that the proceedings were in response to two criminal complaints against Valcke in connection with investigations by FIFA's ethics committee. FIFA is mired in the worst crisis in its 112-year history, with corruption investigations under way in Switzerland and the United States.