Blatter, Platini banned from all football-related activities for 8 years

PanARMENIAN.Net - FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been banned from all football for eight years along with UEFA president Michel Platini, its ethics committee has announced, according to the Independent.

Neither Blatter nor Platini attended the hearing in Zurich where they would learn their fate after an investigation into a payment of 2 million Swiss Francs (around €1,8 million) from Blatter to Platini in 2011, which was said to have been for work carried out between 1998 and 2002, although their lawyers did attend the hearing.

However, the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee announced on Monday, December 21 morning that Blatter and Platini had been banned from all football-related activities for eight years with immediate effect.

In addition to the lengthy bans, Blatter has been fined around €45.000 and Platini has been fined around €73.000, and the Frenchman will no longer be allowed to run for FIFA presidential candidacy in February when Blatter’s replacement will be elected.

Blatter had already announced his intention to step down after widespread corruption allegations were made against leading FIFA members as part of an investigation led by the FFBI and Swiss authorities.

Platini will also be forced to resign as UEFA president. Current UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino will take his place among the seven FIFA presidential candidates.