FIFA Suspends President Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jerome Valcke

FIFA had banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini from football for eight years, as the two had been investigated by the body’s Ethics Committee amid the corruption scandal that has shaken up football governance in recent months.

FIFA Ethics Committee considered that they demonstrated an “abusive execution” of their positions.

Both were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3million ($2million) “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011, and they have been fined 50,000 and 80,000 Swiss francs respectively.

In a press conference, Blatter, 79, said: “I will fight for me and for FIFA.” He defended himself saying, “Let us say that I am really sorry. I am sorry that I am still somewhere a punching ball. I’m sorry that I, as president of FIFA, am a punching ball”.

The FIFA statement includes the following: “The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr. Hans Joachim Eckert has banned Mr. Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, for eight years and Mr. Michel Platini, Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee of FIFA and President of UEFA, for eight years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately.

The proceedings against Mr.Blatter primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 transferred in February 2011 from FIFA to Mr. Platini. Mr. Blatter, in his position as President of FIFA, authorized the payment to Mr. Platini which had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999. Neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr. Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment. His assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber”.