FIFA Bans Sepp Blatter & Michel Platini For Eight Years [SEE DETAILS]

 

An independent ethics committee has banned the FIFA president and UEFA chief for eight years from all activities related to the sport.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA counterpart Michel Platini have both been banned from all soccer-related activity for eight years effective immediately, the independent ethics committee of world soccer's governing body confirmed Monday.

Both men were provisionally suspended in October in relation to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.01 million in today's dollars) made by FIFA, and authorized by Blatter, to Platini in February 2011.

Blatter and Platini, who also served as FIFA vice president, claimed this related to work carried out by the former France captain for FIFA between 1999 and 2002, citing a "gentleman's agreement."

In its ruling published Monday, the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee said the payment had "no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999," and that "neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr. Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment."

Furthermore, assertions from Blatter and Platini of an oral agreement were "determined as not convincing and rejected by the chamber."

A native of Switzerland, Blatter, 79, had already announced his intention to step down before February's FIFA presidential elections.

He also was fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($50,066), with Platini, 60, fined 80,000 Swiss francs ($80,398).

The investigation into both men, who denied any wrongdoing, was unable to prove "to the extent required" that either was guilty of bribery and corruption under the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE).

But Blatter and Platini were found to be in breach of FCE articles relating to offering and accepting gifts and other benefits; conflicts of interests; loyalty; and general rules of conduct.

Blatter has been FIFA president since 1998, while Platini — the head of European soccer's governing body since 2007 — had been widely favored to succeed his old ally in the top job before the scandal broke.

Culled from Goal