FIFA bans Blatter, Platini for 8 yrs

Frenchman to appeal ban

ZURICH, Dec 21, (Agencies): A FIFA ethics tribunal on Monday banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for eight years saying they had abused their positions over a 2 million Swiss francs payment made to Platini.

The sentence against the two most powerful men in football stunningly highlighted the troubles faced by the world’s most popular sport where billions of dollars have been invested in recent years.

Blatter, 79, and Platini, 60, were “immediately” banned from all football activity. Blatter’s career is now almost certainly over while Platini’s hopes of taking over FIFA are all but finished.

Blatter, FIFA’s president since 1998, was fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($50,000/46,300 euros) while Platini, the head of UEFA, Europe’s governing body and a FIFA vice president, was fined 80,000 Swiss francs.

Blatter told a press conference he would challenge the sentence at a FIFA appeal committee, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and before Swiss civil courts.

Blatter said he had been “betrayed” by FIFA investigators and had been treated like a “punching ball”.

He condemned the FIFA court for not accepting his explanations. “Something that is not true cannot be proven,” he said, declaring that he would be “combative”. A statement by the FIFA tribunal said Blatter and Platini were guilty of “abusive execution” of their powers with the two million Swiss franc payment that Blatter authorised for Platini in 2011. They said it was for work as a consultant carried out between 1999 and 2002.

While the FIFA court dropped corruption charges against both men, it said both were guilty of a conflict of interests.

It said there was “no legal basis” for the payment in a written agreement between the two officials in August 1999.

“Neither in his written statement

Blatter

Platini Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (left), breaks up a pass intended for San Diego Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd during the first half in an NFL

football game, on Dec 20, in San Diego. (AP)

Cardinals 40, Eagles 17 In Philadelphia, David Johnson ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns and Carson Palmer threw a TD pass as Arizona beat Philadelphia to clinch the NFC West title.

The Cardinals (12-2) will earn a firstround bye with a win over Green Bay next week. They still have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed if they win out and Carolina loses its last two games. The Eagles (6-8) would win the NFC East title if they beat Washington at home and 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 court 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”.

Platini was also found to be in “a conflict of interest”.

The judgement was even more damning of the French football legend than for Blatter.

Meanwhile, Platini says he will appeal his 8-year ban from football at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In statement, Platini describes the FIFA ethics commission’s procedure against him as a “true mockery.” He said it had been “orchestrated ... by governing bodies that I know well” to tarnish him. the Giants on the road.

The Cardinals outclassed Philadelphia in every way on their way to their eighth straight win.

Johnson, a rookie filling in for injured backs Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington, had a pair of 1-yard TD runs and a 47-yarder. Palmer gave Cardinals fans a brief scare when he came out for one play after injuring his right index finger on a throw. But he returned to toss a 16-yard TD pass to John Brown and finished 20 of 32 for 274 yards. Deone Bucannon returned Sam Bradford’s interception 39 yards for a touchdown to give Arizona a 37-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, sending fans to the exits.

Seahawks 30, Browns 13 In Seattle, Russell Wilson continued his record pace by throwing three touchdown passes, two to Doug Baldwin, and the Seahawks clinched a playoff spot for the fourth straight season. Seattle (9-5) won its fifth straight and, thanks to losses this week by Tampa Bay and the New York Giants, wrapped up a postseason berth.

Wilson was 21 of 30 for 249 yards. He found Baldwin on TDs of 6 and 3 yards in the first half, then hit Tyler Lockett on a 27yard TD strike on the first play of the fourth quarter. Wilson became the first quarterback with three or more TD passes and no interceptions in five straight games.

Johnny Manziel threw a 7-yard TD to Gary Barnidge on the first drive for the Browns (3-11).

Bengals 24, 49ers 14 In Santa Clara, California, Jeremy Hill ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns to back AJ McCarron’s first career start, and the Bengals clinched a fifth straight postseason berth.

As Andy Dalton watched from the sideline with a large cast over his broken

Carolina Panthers’ Graham Gano (9) kicks a field goal to win during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Dec 20, in East

Rutherford, NJ. on The Panthers won 38-35. (AP)

right thumb, McCarron threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft just before halftime as the Bengals (11-3) forced three second-quarter turnovers by San Francisco (4-10) to take command.

Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones each made interceptions on balls that deflected off the hands of tight end Vance McDonald. Cincinnati capitalized with touchdowns on two of the turnovers, including Kroft’s TD catch one play and five seconds after the second pick.

Vikings 38, Bears 17 In Minneapolis, Teddy Bridgewater threw a career-high four touchdowns and ran for another, and the Vikings took a big step toward clinching playoff spot.

Bridgewater completed 17 of 20 passes for 231 yards without a turnover, connecting twice with Stefon Diggs for scores. Jerick McKinnon and Zach Line had the other touchdown catches on a remarkably productive afternoon for all of Minnesota’s running backs.

Adrian Peterson missed some time because of an injury to his left ankle, but finished with 63 yards to maintain his NFL rushing lead. The Vikings are 9-5. The Bears are 5-9.

Chargers 30, Dolphins 14 In San Diego, Danny Woodhead had his first career four-touchdown game and Philip Rivers recovered a fumble on a play that began with him throwing an interception in what might have been the final NFL game in San Diego.

Woodhead caught TD passes of 20, 9 and 9 yards, and scored on a 2-yard run for the Chargers (4-10), who failed to score a touchdown in each of their previous two home games. Miami (5-9) lost for the fourth time in five games.

The Chargers Cannon went off. The disco ditty “San Diego Super Chargers” blared for what might be the final time.

It could all be over after 55 seasons if NFL owners allow Chargers Chairman Dean Spanos to move to an industrial suburb of Los Angeles and build a stadium with the rival Oakland Raiders.

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