Blatter And Platini Handed Eight Year Bans

21 Dec 2015 | tshego

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini have both been suspended for eight years from all football related activity.

Following an ethics investigation, they were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m “disloyal payment” that was made to Platini in 2011.

The independent ethics committee, chaired by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, ruled both should be banned despite their protests they did nothing wrong when Blatter paid Platini £1.3m in 2011.

In a statement, the committee said: “Mr Blatter, in his position as president of Fifa, authorised the payment to Mr Platini which had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25th 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.”

The bans come into force immediately, with Blatter fined £33,700 and Platini £54,000. Charges for the pair included conflict of interest, accepting gifts, false accounting and non co-operation, over a 50 page report.

Blatter held a press conference this morning and said: “First I was sad but now I am not sad. I am combative. They paint Mr Platini and me as liars.

“This is a question of personal respect and justice. They cannot condemn me for not valid reasons. This is not finished. I am fighting not for me but for FIFA. I need my rights to be restored until the end of February. I believe in God and the law and in FIFA and the rules we have put in place. I believe I can preside at the FIFA Congress.”