World Cup tickets official released

The CEO of Match Hospitality, a subsidary company of FIFA in charge of World Cup ticket packages, Raymond Whelan (R), arrives at a police station in Rio de Janeiro after being arrested accused of leading a network that illegal sold game passes, on July 7, 2014. AFP
The CEO of Match Hospitality, a subsidary company of FIFA in charge of World Cup ticket packages, Raymond Whelan (R), arrives at a police station in Rio de Janeiro after being arrested accused of leading a network that illegal sold game passes, on July 7, 2014. AFP

The director of the FIFA partner company handling World Cup ticket packages has been released from police custody a day after being arrested in connection with an investigation into a network that illegally sold match tickets.

Rio police said in a statement that Ray Whelan, the 64-year-old British director of Zurich-based Match Services and a former agent of English football legend Bobby Charlton, was granted provisional release early Tuesday.

"Match have complete faith that the facts will establish that he has not violated any laws," the company's media director Andreas Herren said in a statement. "Match will continue to fully support all police investigations, which we firmly believe will fully exonerate Ray."