FIFA ethics court bans Blatter, Platini for eight years
- 8 years ago
Banished from soccer's ruling body for eight years for unethical conduct, Sepp Blatter won't give up the presidency of his beloved FIFA without a fight.
"I will fight.
I will fight until the end," Blatter said Monday at a news conference that started 90 minutes after he and former protege Michel Platini were each banned by FIFA's ethics committee.
It was a stunning removal of world soccer's most powerful leaders over a $2 million payment by FIFA to Platini, the president of European soccer's ruling body UEFA.
The payment is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.
Platini, a FIFA vice president whose bid to succeed Blatter on Feb. 26 now looks over, described the proceedings as a "true mockery."
Their offences were judged to be conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA.
They avoided life bans because corruption was not proven.
"I will fight.
I will fight until the end," Blatter said Monday at a news conference that started 90 minutes after he and former protege Michel Platini were each banned by FIFA's ethics committee.
It was a stunning removal of world soccer's most powerful leaders over a $2 million payment by FIFA to Platini, the president of European soccer's ruling body UEFA.
The payment is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.
Platini, a FIFA vice president whose bid to succeed Blatter on Feb. 26 now looks over, described the proceedings as a "true mockery."
Their offences were judged to be conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA.
They avoided life bans because corruption was not proven.