By Paul Nicholson
October 7 – Reports have surfaced that FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini have had requests for 90-day suspensions from all football activities. The requests have been made by FIFA Ethic’s investigatory body and will now be heard by FIFA’s adjudicatory body.
So far there has been no official confirmation of the requests for the suspensions.
Neither Blatter or Platini had been made aware of the move prior to the news breaking across European media.
Both men are the subject of criminal investigations in Switzerland by the federal justice authorities over a payment of SFr2 million made to Platini by FIFA in 2011, allegedly for work carried out between 1998 and 2002. The Swiss authorities are investigating what they are calling a “disloyal payment” that was sanctioned by Blatter.
Blatter is also under investigation for the sale of World Cup TV rights to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) that were then transferred to a company owned by disgraced CONCACAF president Jack Warner.
The news has left FIFA in complete disarray with not even staffers aware of the truth of the rumours or their implications for the day to day running of the organisation.
The next stage is for the adjudicatory chamber under judge Hans-Joachim Eckert to rule on the findings of the investigatory body. The timeline for that decision is unclear as Eckert is believed to currently be in Germany.
If the chamber rules in favour of a suspension neither Blatter or Platini will be able to take part in any football activity. This would effectively Blatter’s 17-year reign as president before the elections for a new FIFA president in February next year.
It would also rule out Platini standing in the FIFA election to succeed him.
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