FIFA Ethics Investigators Request Sanctions Against Blatter and Platini

Sepp Blatter, who has been the FIFA’s governing body for 18 years, was accused of singing an unfavourable contract to FIFA and making illegal payments to the UEFA president Michel Platini. They claimed it was an “oral contract”.

FIFA investigation reported that 1.35 million was paid in 2011 to Platini. However, Blatter and Platini denied doing anything disloyal, illegal or wrong.

The football figures are suspended from their posts for 90 days. They both are a subject of investigations by the FIFA’s ethics committee.

The chamber for investigation of FIFA confirmed that the final report was ready and it has been submitted to the judge. The report contains requests for sanctions over the disloyal payment, which was made to Platini. The committee said that it would not disclose the punishments against the most powerful men in the world’s football due to presumption of innocence.

The committee requests bans for several year, which are based on potential violations of ethic codes: mismanagement, false accounting, conflict of interest and refusal to cooperate with the ethics committee.

The report may affect the future candidacy of Platini for FIFA president. The suspension lasts until the 5th of January. The ban has thrown brakes on his desire to replace Blatter. The presidential vote is scheduled for the 26th of February. There are five men, who passed the integrity tests of FIFA and are free to run for president.

Despite the suspension, Platini is still running for FIFA president during February. Blatter said that Platini would be elected, if he came back.

The 79-year old suspended FIFA president has been under enormous pressure. Blatter revealed that he was “close to death”. He fainted, while visiting the grave of his parents.

Blatter spent some time in hospital. He said that his health situation was very serious. He told RTS, Swiss television channel, that the pressure on him had been too enormous, because of the corruption scandal, and his body could not take it any more.

“I was close to death. I sat between angels singing and the fire of the devil”

The FIFA ethics committee will announce the next stage of the proceedings against Blatter and Platini. Hans-Joachim Eckert, FIFA’s ethics judge, is making the decision, which will be based on the investigators’ case. The final conclusion is expected around Christmas.