Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini Handed Eight-Year Bans by FIFA
Press Association – Sepp Blatter‘s 40-year FIFA reign came to a humiliating end as he and Michel Platini, the two most powerful men in world football, were banned for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee for abusing their positions.
Blatter claimed he had been “killed” and “betrayed” by the ethics committee he had appointed while Platini insisted the bans were “a mockery” – but it looks to be the end of the road for both men’s FIFA careers.
The bans were imposed by FIFA’s ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert for a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.3million) made to UEFA president Platini in 2011, signed off by outgoing FIFA president Blatter.
Blatter, who made a defiant but rambling appearance at a news conference in Zurich following the announcement, has also been fined 50,000 Swiss francs (£33,700) and Platini 80,000 Swiss francs (£54,000) by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee after being found guilty of ethics code breaches.
The charges found proven included offering and accepting gifts, conflict of interest, and violating their fiduciary duty to FIFA.
Blatter, appearing wearing a plaster on his face following the removal of a facial blemish, vowed to fight the sanctions. He will be allowed to stay in the luxurious apartment provided by FIFA until the appeals process is exhausted, and his final words to the press conference were: “I’ll be back.”
The 79-year-old used FIFA’s former headquarters in Zurich for his news conference – he hired it as a private citizen, but it still houses FIFA’s marketing department – and said he would appeal to FIFA’s appeals committee, then the Court of Arbitration for Sport and then the Swiss federal court against the sanction.
He told a packed conference: “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA. Suspended for eight years for what?”
“I am sorry that I am a punching ball. I am sorry that as president of FIFA I am this punching ball. I am sorry for football. I am sorry for the 400 plus FIFA team members. I’m sorry about that. I am also sorry about me and about how I am treated in this world of humanitarian qualities.”
“Human beings needs to be respected. It has created a lot of collateral damage in the families. My family was mocked. I regret I am this punching bag.”
Blatter – FIFA president since 1998 and general secretary for two decades before that – said he had almost died after collapsing in early November, adding: “They tried to kill me now. But I was safe till the last minute. I was nearly there.”
Blatter later told Sky News all World Cups had a “bad smell” when it came to bidding.
He said: “All World Cups can have a bad smell. But World Cups are not bought or sold. World Cups are given on merit.
“All World Cups I have been in, now it’s always political intervention that have made the difference between one or the other. The World Cup smells of the political intervention. You cannot stop them.”
He and Platini both claimed the £1.3million payment was made following a verbal agreement between the pair when the Frenchman worked for Blatter from 1998 to 2002 though not paid until 2011, 13 years after the agreement .
The explanation was rejected as “not convincing” by the ethics committee, though it did add the evidence had not been sufficient to secure charges of corruption.
A statement from the ethics committee said: “Mr Blatter’s actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as president of FIFA, hence violating article 13 of the FCE (general rules of conduct).”
It added: “Mr Platini failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities.
“His actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as vice-president of FIFA and member of the FIFA executive committee.”
Platini’s aim of succeeding Blatter as FIFA president in February’s election has been effectively ended, even if he manages to overturn the ban.
There is also the threat of action from the law authorities in the USA and Switzerland. The Swiss attorney general announced in October he had opened criminal proceedings against Blatter in connection to the 2million Swiss franc payment. The attorney general also stated he had interviewed Platini as someone “between a witness and an accused person”.
Platini said he too would appeal to CAS and take legal action for damages.
He said in a statement: “This decision does not surprise me. The FIFA ethics commission’s procedure against me is a true mockery. It was orchestrated to tarnish my reputation.
“I’m convinced that my fate was decided before the December 18 hearing and that this decision is just a pathetic manoeuvre to hide a true will of taking me out of the football world.”
