Markus Kattner was dismissed with immediate effect. Photo: Jose Mendez
(Photo: dpa)
“FIFA’s internal investigations have revealed breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in relation to his employment,” it said in a statement. In addition, the association will “not announce any further details, but the cooperation with the relevant authorities will continue”.
After the suspension of Jérôme Valcke, who had also been dismissed in the meantime, Kattner had taken over the post of acting general secretary at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Born in Bayreuth, he came to the world association from the management consultancy McKinsey in 2003 and was actually FIFA Finance Director.
He recently hit the headlines because he is said to have been aware of dubious payment flows. Kattner is said to have known about the 2 million Swiss franc payment from then FIFA President Joseph Blatter to former UEFA boss Michel Platini in 2011. According to the official duo, the payment was a belated salary for Platini’s services at the turn of the millennium. However, the sum was not recorded in the FIFA books.
However, the dismissal has nothing to do with the previously known cases, said a person familiar with the investigations on Monday evening of the German Press Agency. It was only last Friday that internal checks came across documents that had been checked over the weekend and which now led to the step. It is said to be bonus payments to Kattner in the amount of “several million dollars” between 2008 and 2014.
FIFA announcement
Kattner on the FIFA homepage
