Fifa suspends Blatter, Platini 90 days
Blatter, Platini suspended for 90 days; prez candidate Chung gets 6- yr ban
World soccer chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were suspended on Thursday, engulfed by a deepening corruption scandal as their sport faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States.
Mr Blatter, who had been the president of world football governing body, FIFA, since 1998, was already due to stand down after an election in February.
Mr Platini, head of the European body UEFA, was a frontrunner to replace him. However, his shrinking election hopes now depend on whether he can overturn the 90- day ban imposed by FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
Despite their denials of wrongdoing, both men have gradually been submerged by the scandal that has rocked the world’s most popular sport, beginning with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss luxury hotel in May.
“During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level,” the ethics committee said.
FIFA said in a statement: “Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90- day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organisation’s behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative.” His acting replacement was Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, the head of the Confederation of African Football and FIFA’s senior vice president.
Zurich, Oct. 8: Fifa’s ethics watchdog on Thursday suspended the two most powerful men in football, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, for 90 days in a sensational new blow to the sport’s scandal- tainted governing body.
Secretary- general Jerome Valcke was also suspended for 90 days while South Korean tycoon Chung Mong- Joon, a candidate for the Fifa presidency along with Platini, was banned outright for six years.
While Fifa said the suspensions were “provisional”, the action almost certainly signals the end of the reign of Fifa president Blatter and deals a major blow to Uefa leader Platini’s hopes of taking over.
Issa Hayatou head of the Confederation of African Football, a Blatter ally, was put in charge of the multi- billion dollar body.
Fifa said Blatter, who has been its president since 1998, had been “relieved of all his duties” during the 90 days.
Blatter is under investigation by Swiss prosecutors for criminal mismanagement.
The four football powerbrokers “are banned from all football activities on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately”, a statement said.
Lawye r s for Blatter said he was “disappointed” the e t h i c s wat chdo g had failed to follow its own rules by not letting him give evidence.
“President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise,” said a statement by Zurich lawyers Lorenz Erni, Erni Brun Forrer and US- based Richard Cullen.
Blatter and French football legend Platini have faced mounting pressure since Swiss prosecutors started their investigation on September 25.
Platini, who has run Uefa, has been named in the investigation because of a two million dollar payment he received in 2011.
The Frenchman has denied any wrongdoing and demanded an inquiry into the circumstances of the investigation against him. Platini registered his candidacy Thursday for the February 26 vote to find a successor to Blatter. But it will be up to an electoral commission to decide now whether he can stand.
The suspensions can be renewed for another 45 days when they run out in January, which would take the exclusion until just before the Fifa election to be held on February 26