FIFA’s Sepp Blatter to Fight 8-Year Ban

The UEFA president has – along with Sepp Blatter – been banned from all football-related activity for eight years by FIFA’s ethics committee, which prohibits him accepting invitations as a VIP or working for a television station as a pundit.

Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter is surrounded by journalists upon his arrival to a press conference on December 21, 2015 in Zurich.

And calls of ‘who wore it better?’

Blatter, 79, and Platini, 60, were then “immediately” banned from all football activity.

And others felt that this video of Blatter falling over summed up his legacy perfectly. The Ex- FIFA president said he had been “betrayed” by investigators and had been treated like a “punching ball” as well. “I regret, but I am not ashamed. The spokesperson of the Ethics Commission (Andreas Bantel) had already announced that Michel would be suspended for several years”. But I would like to see someone from outside football, a person of world stature brought into this, who’s got no baggage and nobody could criticize and could bring a really fresh approach to this.

Blatter: “I’m sorry as president of Federation Internationale de Football Association I’m this punching ball”. The court said “Mr Blatter’s actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as President of FIFA”.

For his involvement, Platini received a fine of 80,000 Swiss francs, to go with his ban. Blatter previously said he would stand down before FIFA’s election in February, although that appears to be a moot point with the suspension.

The payment was made to Plantini back in 2011 that Blatter had approved for a job he reportedly did 10 years ago.

It added: “Once again, UEFA supports Michel Platini’s right to a due process and the opportunity to clear his name”.

FIFA, when contacted by CNN, said it “acknowledges the decisions of the independent Ethics Committee and has no further comment”.

Swiss prosecutors are also investigating FIFA’s management as well as the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russian Federation and Qatar.

Many of Blatter’s associates are under federal indictment and, although Blatter has not been charged, the embattled chief, who was wearing a bandage on his face, seemed to lay all his troubles at the feet of the U.S.