Formal proceedings were officially opened against Valcke last week by the Adjudicatory Chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee.

It followed the Investigatory Chamber recommending the Frenchman be given a nine-year ban for his role in allegedly selling World Cup tickets for almost five times their face value.

They also requested his 90-day suspension from footballing activity, which was due to expire on January 6, be extended by a further 45 days.

As well as proposing the 55-year-old be handed a substantial ban, the Ethics Committee also recommended he be fined CHF100,000 (£69,000/$99,000/€92,000).

He has been accused of "offering and accepting gifts and other benefits", as well as breaches of confidentiality, duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting and loyalty.

The recommendation meant Valcke's case was passed on to Adjudicatory Chamber judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and he has now been sacked, with acting secretary general Markus Kattner continuing to assume his duties. 

It marks the second time he has been dismissed by FIFA.

He was previously fired as head of marketing in 2006 when a New York City Judge claimed he had "lied repeatedly" to Visa and MasterCard in the bidding for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup sponsorship rights. 

MasterCard sued FIFA in April 2006 after world football's governing body awarded the coveted sponsorship to Visa.

The credit card issuer that had sponsored the tournament for 16 years initially claimed it had right of first refusal on future sponsorships of the tournament, but dropped the case after reaching a $90 million (£62 million/€83 million) settlement with FIFA. 

In 2007, Valcke was re-hired by FIFA President Sepp Blatter as the first non-Swiss secretary general.

Blatter justified his return to the organisation by saying "you bring back strong people".

A FIFA statement released today regarding Valcke's sacking read: "The FIFA Emergency Committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jérôme Valcke from the position of FIFA secretary general with immediate effect. 

"Jérôme Valcke is therefore no longer the secretary general of FIFA.

"The employment relationship between FIFA and Jérôme Valcke has also been terminated.

"Jérôme Valcke was provisionally released from his duties as secretary general on 17 September 2015, and on 7 January 2016, formal adjudicatory proceedings were opened against him by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert.

"The provisional suspension imposed on Jérôme Valcke on 8 October 2015 and extended on 6 January 2016 continues to be valid."

Valcke was also at the centre of allegations concerning a $10 million (£7 million/€9 million) bribe, reportedly given to disgraced FIFA vice-president Jack Warner in return for his vote for South Africa’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

He has always denied the claims, despite reports in the American media that he was the "high-ranking FIFA official" to have signed off on the payment.

Before he was banned for 90 days, Valcke was tasked with the day-to-day running of world football's world governing body, which remains engulfed in scandal amid a series of corruption allegations, indictments and arrests, and was considered Blatter's right-hand man.

Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini were given eight-year bans from footballing activity after the Ethics Committee conducted an investigation into a "disloyal" payment of CHF2 million (£1.4 million/$2 million/€1.8 million) made to the Frenchman by the Swiss.

His tumultuous tenure at the helm of the governing body will officially come to an end at the Extraordinary Congress, due to take place in Zurich on February 26.