Thursday 14 January 2016 00:42, UK
FIFA has dismissed secretary general Jerome Valcke with immediate effect.
The decision comes after FIFA's ethics committee opened formal proceedings last week against Valcke, after its investigators recommended a nine-year ban over accusations of corruption involving the sale of World Cup tickets.
The Frenchman, who has denied any wrongdoing in several alleged offences, also faces a 100,000 Swiss franc (approx £68,000) fine on charges including conflicts of interest, and offering and accepting gifts and other benefits.
A FIFA statement said: "The FIFA emergency committee decided to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA secretary general with immediate effect. Jerome Valcke is therefore no longer the secretary general of FIFA.
"The employment relationship between FIFA and Jerome Valcke has also been terminated.
"The duties of the secretary general will continue to be assumed by the acting secretary general, Dr Markus Kattner."
Valcke was originally suspended for 90 days on September 17, and that suspension was extended for 45 days earlier this month.
He was suspended after emails and documents were released which suggested he was aware that a Swiss marketing company was selling off World Cup and Confederation Cup tickets for almost five times their face value.
The emails and documents show Valcke signed off contracts with Swiss firm JB Sports Marketing AG for category one tickets for a number of matches.
The company also claims it entered into a profit-sharing agreement with Valcke - though no money changed hands - and he strongly denies asking for or receiving any money from JB Sports.
In a statement his lawyer said: "Jerome Valcke is proud of all that was accomplished for the game of football during his long tenure as Secretary General, including two of the most successful World Cups in history in South Africa and Brazil.
"He remains confident that he will be fully vindicated and history will recognize all of his contributions to the sport he loves."
Sky Sports News HQ chief news reporter Kaveh Solhekol believes Valcke's involvement in ticketing scandal and his subsequent dismissal is another significant black mark against disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
"It is very significant," Solhekol said. "He was the third most powerful man in world football after Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini. He was Blatter's right hand man, the man who carried out Blatter's instructions. He was in charge of the organisation of World Cups.
"When he first found out he was to be suspended he was on a plane to Russia for a ceremony marking it was two years until the 2018 World Cup there. The plane had to turn around and when he got back he was told he was suspended.
You cannot over-estimate how close Valcke was to Sepp Blatter and he has now left in disgrace as well
"He was suspended for being accused of being involved in a ticketing scam. He and his lawyers have always claimed he has done nothing wrong. But the investigators built up a compelling case and we've found out they had seen enough evidence to dismiss him straight away.
"Valcke is another person to leave FIFA. You cannot over-estimate how close Valcke was to Sepp Blatter and he has now left in disgrace as well."
Meanwhile, Former FIFA vice president Alfredo Hawit has been extradited to the United States to face bribery charges.
The Swiss justice ministry says Hawit was handed over on Wednesday to two American police officers in Zurich who accompanied him on the New York flight.
Hawit, from Honduras, was interim president of the CONCACAF regional governing body when he was arrested in Zurich on December 3.
U.S. prosecutors accuse him of accepting bribes totalling millions of dollars linked to the sale of marketing rights to football tournaments in Latin America.
The FIFA ethics committee suspended Hawit for 90 days after his arrest.
