Another huge day of damage to football as Blatter and Platini will serve 90-day FIFA bans

Sepp Blatter has booted out of FIFA for the first time in 40 years

SEPP BLATTER has finally been booted out of FIFA for the first time in 40 years with Michel Platini also out of office on another day of huge collateral damage for the whole of football.

 

In a hectic hour yesterday morning, Platini submitted his application to stand in the elections for a new FIFA president in February just moments before he was banned from any sort of football-related activity by the FIFA Ethics commission for the next 90 days.

Issa Hayatou, accused in the past of bribery by the IOC, confirmed he would be taking temporary hold of the FIFA reins as the longest-serving vice-president.

However, in an extraordinary move that puts UEFA on a direct collision course with FIFA, the European executive committee expressed its “full confidence” in Platini and refused to appoint their own interim successor, insisting UEFA “stands fully behind him”.

 

UEFA president Michel Platini has also been banned for 90 days by the FIFA Ethics Commission

They stated “there must be a very rapid final decision on this matter in the interests of both justice and football”. 

Likewise, the FA continued to back Platini, although chairman Greg Dyke was keen to stress they would drop their support if the FIFA ethics committee finds he has “behaved improperly”.

Plans that suspensions were about to be handed out emerged late on Wednesday and were confirmed in a statement released by FIFA, in which secretary Jerome Valcke, already on leave, was also punished.

 

Former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-Joon has been banned for six years and fined £67,000

FIFA statutes say that a provisional suspension may be imposed “if a breach of the Code of Ethics appears to have been committed” or “for preventing interference with the establishment of the truth.”

But that had still not been formally announced when Platini released a sternly-worded statement claiming the whole thing was a plan to scupper his plans to succeed Blatter next year.

“This deliberate leak – which is insidious in nature and has come about in an unacceptable manner – is essentially an attempt to damage my reputation,” he alleged.

 

While Blatter and Platini serve their bans, Issa Hayatou will head FIFA

“This morning I submitted the letters of support that are required in order to stand as a candidate for the presidency of FIFA. I am certain that we will overcome this difficulty with full transparency and the unity that gives football its strength.”

He later added that the allegations were “astonishingly vague” and said he was “driven by a profound feeling of staunch defiance.”

Platini now has a further day to lodge what UEFA say will be a “vigorous” appeal against his sanction but in all likelihood yesterday’s developments mean he will be unable to stand on February 26.

The initial 90-day suspension could be extended for a further 45 days – less than a week before the elections.

Furthermore, it is unlikely he would pass the necessary background integrity check while under investigation over a £1.3m “disloyal” payment made to him by Blatter in 2011.

Another candidate, former Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-Joon was also banned yesterday for six years and fined £67,000 just 24 hours after announcing his plan to run.