Geneva (AFP)

Suspicions surrounding the allocation of TV rights to the Mondial de football, a luxury villa in Sardinia occupied at the time by the N.2 of Fifa, prison sentence incurred: here is what we know about the corruption case in which Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, boss of the television group beIN Media and PSG, was indicted Thursday:

- What is criticized by Al-Khelaïfi and Valcke:

In March 2017, an investigation was opened in Switzerland for "suspicion of private corruption, fraud, unfair management and forgery in the securities". He who is then N.2 of Fifa, Jérôme Valcke, is accused of having accepted advantages, against which he would have sold the TV rights to the World Cup at prices below the market.

Seven months later, Swiss justice announces that Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and ex-N.2 of Fifa Jérôme Valcke are both suspected of corruption during the granting of TV rights to several World Cups. A search of the Paris offices of the BeInSports television channel was carried out.

A former Canal + journalist who has become Sepp Blatter's right-hand man at Fifa and known for his taste for luxury items, Valcke has been suspended 10 years by the international federation for other acts of corruption.

In the Al-Khelaïfi file, the Frenchman is suspected of having "accepted undue advantages in connection with the granting of media rights in certain countries (...) concerning the Football World Cups 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030 and from Nasser Al-Khelaïfi concerning the 2026 and 2030 World Cups ".

- The exact role of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi:

One suspects the president of the PSG to have put "graciously" at the disposal of Valcke a luxurious residence in Sardinia, Villa Bianca. The Frenchman admitted having taken advantage of the villa but having "established a lease and paid the rental". But last January, Mediapart and the media consortium EIC reveal text messages that undermine the defense of Al-Khelaïfi. These messages, some of which date from 2014, reveal Valcke's urgent requests to the boss of PSG to pay the bills for the house.

Valcke is also suspected of having received a luxury watch from the boss of BeIn "in exchange for his influence". But on Wednesday, Swiss justice indicated that these suspicions were "not confirmed. A classification order in connection with these facts was therefore issued in February 2020".

- What the two men risk:

. Al-Khelaïfi: according to a Swiss lawyer, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. But the actual sentence is then individualized. It is therefore "doubtful" that, if convicted, Al-Khelaïfi will be sentenced to a firm sentence, the stay being total or partial if the sentence is equal to or less than 2 years. His lawyer claims him "full acquittal".

. Valcke: in theory, the legal maximum of the two most serious offenses (unfair management and forgery in the titles) targeting Valcke would be 5 years each, maximum penalty reduced to 7 and a half in the event of "concurrent offenses". But according to the practice of the Swiss courts, the sentence will be "much lower" if Valcke is found guilty. He could probably even get a stay.

© 2020 AFP