Soccer’s world governing body has provisionally suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini for 90 days. FIFA also suspended a critic of Blatter for six years, dw.de informs.
A statement posted on FIFA’s official website on Thursday said the world governing body had banned Blatter, Platini and FIFA’s secretary general for the next three months.
“The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Hans Joachim Eckert has provisionally banned FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, UEFA President and FIFA Vice-President Michel Platini, and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke (who has already been put on leave by his employer FIFA) for a duration of 90 days,” the statement said.
It noted that the bans on the three officials could be extended for a further period of up to 45 days, adding that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon will serve as FIFA’s acting president.
“During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately,” the statement added.
The Ethics Committee’s decision to ban Blatter comes after Swiss authorities announced that they had launched a criminal investigation into some of his alleged dealings.
Blatter is being investigated over a contract signed with the Caribbean Footbal Union over television rights which was allegedly “unfavourable for FIFA.” He is also suspected of having made a “disloyal payment” to UEFA President Michel Platini which was “at the expense of FIFA.”
Shortly after the announcement, Blatter’s lawyers, Lorenz Erni and Richard Cullen, responded with a statement in which they said he was “disappointed” that the Ethics Committee had not given him the opportunity to present his case.
Platini has also denied any wrongdoing.