Federation Internationale de Football Association officials to appeal ban

The ethics judges ruled that Blatter broke FIFA Code of Ethics rules on conflicts of interest, breach of loyalty and offering gifts, while Platini broke rules on conflict of interest and loyalty. Platini says it was money he was owed but he’d forgotten to invoice for it. He’d somehow forgotten to invoice for three million dollars that he was owed nine years ago.

Roughly an hour after the verdict was announced, Blatter held a news conference in which he pledged to appeal his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, meaning the saga isn’t quite over yet.

In addition to the suspension, Blatter has also been fined £34,000 and Platini £54,000.

The payment did not appear on FIFA’s records and came weeks before Blatter defeated Mohammad Bin Hammam in a heavily contested presidential election. The three time European Footballer of the Year and former captain of France’s career in the administrative section of football has been effectively derailed by this ban.

Unshaven and sporting a plaster over his right cheek, Blatter was in defiant mood at a news conference he had called in advance of the punishments being made public.

FA’s former chairman David Bernstein said he believes this is the end for Blatter.

“I regret I am a punching ball and for my organization I have served with my heart and conscience for 41 years”, Blatter said during his opening statement.

Dyke said he felt this would spell the end for the former France international’s FIFA ambitions. He also labeled the disciplinary process “pathetic” and said the decision against him went against “all legitimacy and credibility”.

UEFA are continuing to back their president in the midst of the controversy, the organisation issuing a statement explaining it is “extremely disappointed” with the Ethics Committee’s decision.

The pair were cleared of bribery and corruption allegations.

The two of these men are among 39 officials charged by USA authorities for allegedly pocketing bribes and accepting payments for millions and millions of dollars.

There is also an investigation of misconduct going on into the Federation Internationale de Football Association awarding Russia and Qatar the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals, especially since Qatar has no actual soccer tradition of it being played there. The explanation was rejected as “not convincing” by the ethics committee. He is supposed to step down on February 26.