FIFA fires secretary general Valcke

ZURICH - FIFA has fired secretary general Jerome Valcke, who is under investigation for misconduct, world football's governing body said Wednesday.

"The FIFA emergency committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA secretary general with immediate effect," said a statement.

The Frenchman, effectively the number two behind president Sepp Blatter, who has been banned for eight years, was suspended on September 17 over allegations that he helped sell 2014 World Cup tickets on the black market.