Blatter & Platini Get 8 Year Bans

“The bans come into force immediately”.

The committee’s statement on Platini went on to add: “Mr Platini failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities”.

They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a $2 million “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011.

Blatter and Platini are expected to appeal FIFA’s decision. Platini, once the former front-runner to replace Blatter, also received an eight-year suspension.

The bans are immediate and ends Platini’s slim hopes of running for the Federation Internationale de Football Association presidency on February 26. Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter smiles as he attends a news conference in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, after he was banned for 8 years from all football related activities.

He stood by the legitimacy of a “gentleman’s agreement” with Platini established in 1998 – rejected by the adjudicatory chamber – and outlined his intentions to take an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while questioning the validity of the punishments under Swiss law.

“Based on my knowledge, there was no written contract regulating the payment of two million Swiss francs”, Domenico Scala, head of Fifa’s audit commission told the Financial Times in October.

The 60-year-old had been in charge of European football’s governing body UEFA since 2007.

However, FIFA’s Ethics Committee disagreed and said the payment “had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials”.

November 20: Platini files an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to overturn the decision so he can begin campaigning in the presidential race.

“UEFA has taken note of the decision of the FIFA Ethics Committee to suspend Michel Platini for eight years from all football-related activities”, a UEFA statement read.

“I have never cheated with money”.

“What I learned as I travelled the world in football is what some people think is acceptable behaviour in some parts of the world is not what we may think is acceptable behaviour in certain parts of Europe”.

Blatter was handed a fine of 50,000 Swiss francs (around $50,000 or £34,000) while Platini was fined 80,000 Swiss francs (some $80,000 or £54,000). The office is also investigating the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russian Federation and Qatar.

Ex-FA chairman David Bernstein, who retired from his position in 2013 to give way to Dyke, also feels Blatter will not be able to win any appeal.