News / Sports

FIFA Ethics Committee slaps 8-year-ban against Blatter, Plattini

Monday, 21 December 2015 10:57 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 21 December 2015 10:57 AM ]

This file photo, taken on June 11, 2014, shows FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter (L) talking to UEFA President Michel François Platini during the 64th FIFA congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by AFP)

FIFA has banned the suspended president of the governing body of the soccer association, Joseph Sepp Blatter, and the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Michel François Platini, from all soccer activities for eight years.

On Monday, FIFA’s Ethics Committee found the pair guilty of abusing their positions over a two-million-Swiss franc (over two-million-US dollar) payment to Platini, which was signed off by Blatter in 2011.

Additionally, Blatter was fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($50,250), while Platini received a fine of 80,000 Swiss francs ($80,400).

This photo, taken on July 20, 2015, shows FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter looking on as fake dollar notes fly around him during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by AFP)

“Neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr. Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment. By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr. Blatter violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA,” the judges said.

They added, “His (Blatter’s) assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber.”

The judges further said that Platini “failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities.”

The decision by the adjudicatory chamber of the Zurich-based FIFA Ethics Committee, chaired by Hans Joachim Eckert, potentially put an end to Blatter and Platini’s sway over international soccer, and shattered their dreams of running for FIFA presidency on February 26 next year.

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