Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been acquitted over a corruption scandal relating to World Cup broadcasting rights for a second time.
The 48-year-old was alleged to have paid former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke between €1.4m (£1.2m) and €2.3m (£2m) to grant TV rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups to beIN Sports.
The Swiss Federal Court also alleged that Al-Khelaifi granted Valcke exclusive use of a Sardinian villa, but he was initially acquitted of those criminal mismanagement accusations in October 2020.
Al-Khelaifi's case was reopened on appeal earlier this year, as the prosecutor sought a 28-month prison sentence against the beIN Sports chairman, who has now been cleared for a second time.
The PSG president's Swiss lawyer Marc Bonnatt said in a statement released to RMC Sport: "Today's verdict is a total vindication after a relentless six-year campaign by the prosecution which ignored both the basic facts and the law at every turn.
"Our client has once again for a second time been fully and completely cleared. The years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated, twice."
However, Valcke was convicted by the court and given an 11-month suspended prison sentence and fine, while a third defendant, Konstantinos Nteris, was given a 10-month suspended sentence.
Ben Knapton
