VALCKE Jérôme - France

Frenchman Jerome Valcke was appointed as Secretary General by the FIFA Executive Committee on 27 June 2007. Married, with two children, Valcke joined FIFA in the summer of 2003 as the director of Marketing & TV. Before that, he had worked for Canal+ (1984 - 1997), Sport+ (1997 - 2002) and Sportfive (2002 - 2003).

Nationality: France
Date of Birth: 21.10.60
Mother tongue: French
Other languages: English, German, Spanish
Place of Residence: Zug

Occupation
FIFA Secretary General

Professional Career
Jerome Valcke has enjoyed a brilliant career with several different companies. He began working for Canal + as a journalist in 1984 and became assistant director of its Sports Service in 1991. Canal + then put him in charge of its brand new Sport + channel in 1997, and he held that post until 2002, when Sport + became part of the merger that produced Sportfive. He worked as Chief Operating Officer at the new entity for a year, before joining FIFA as Director of Marketing & TV in June 2003.

Hobbies
Reading, music, cinema, and nature, either through playing sport or through its contemplation.

What does football mean to you?
Passion and emotion for the game, although football today is more than a game. It's an incredible and unique platform for reaching the largest number of people, and for developing education and health programs throughout the world.

Which football club did you support as a child?
We moved around a lot so I could never choose.

Did you ever have an idol in football?
Like a lot of French people, Michel Platini and the team from UEFA EURO 84 - or, more accurately, from 1982 to 1986. Today it's Thierry Henry at the international level, following on from Pele, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Didier Drogba and so many others.

What is your fondest footballing memory?
Paris 1998 without a doubt, and Rotterdam 2000.

What has been your biggest disappointment in football?
The 2002 FIFA World Cup and the Final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Berlin.