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

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).

“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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