By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – Claims that Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini did not get a fair hearing when provisionally suspended last week have been totally rejected amid growing speculation that they could both end up being thrown out of world football for years rather than months.
In an unusual move, FIFA’s ethics committee have issued a strongly-worded statement in reaction to claims that it broke its own rules when sanctioning the respective presidents of FIFA and UEFA. Both are appealing against their 90-day suspensions.
Platini’s lawyers at the weekend slammed the ethics committee for a violation of due process, saying what happened to him was akin to being “arrested by the police and sent to prison without going before a judge.”
Just before his own suspension on Friday, Blatter’s legal team said they expected the committee “would want to hear from the President and his council, and conduct a thorough review of the evidence, before making any recommendation to take disciplinary action.”
Platini is trying every means at his disposal to remain in contention to take over from Blatter on February 26, having plummeted from firm favourite to potential no-hoper in a matter of a few astonishing days.
But stung by what it sees as a deliberate campaign to manipulate the facts, the ethics committee has wasted no time dismissing the latest claims, revealing that Platini was actually questioned for five hours and providing the exact date of the hearing.
“The argument put forward by Michel Platini’s lawyers that their client had not had the possibility to defend himself before the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee before his suspension is invalid,” said a statement issued by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert’s office.
“After the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee had heard him for more than five hours on October 1, 2015 (with the hearing documented on more than 50 pages), the chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber, Hans-Joachim Eckert, did not see a need for a second hearing with Mr Platini. This proceeding is fully in line with article 84.2. of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
Insideworldfootball has learned that Blatter, too, was interviewed for several hours by ethics committee representatives and had ample opportunity to defend himself, adding weight to the argument that no legal codes were broken.
To make matters worse for arguably the two most influential powerbrokers in world football, it is understood that far graver sanctions against them are being actively considered.
Both categorically deny any malpractise over the infamous SFr2 million payment made to Platini by FIFA in 2011 for work apparently carried out nine years earlier when he was Blatter’s special advisor.
While both are confident of being cleared on appeal, it is believed fresh evidence of wrongdoing has already come to light and that a far longer ban could be imposed during the current investigation, ending Blatter’s 17-year reign for good by preventing any chance of a comeback while leaving Platini’s future in shreds.
“Emotions are high at present but this is far more serious than anyone can imagine,” said one high-ranking source close to the ethics committee. “The reality is that this is beyond clumsiness, it possibly verges on a criminal offense.”
Without the respective leaders of FIFA and UEFA in place, both beleaguered organisations have called emergency sessions of their top brass within the next eight days to try and negotiate a path through the mayhem.
With the deadline for nominations set for October 26, UEFA have called a meeting of its executive committee and all 54 national federations for Thursday to discuss how to proceed. FIFA’s hastily arranged exco summit is on October 20, six days before the nominations close, and could decide to postpone the election until the FIFA congress in May.
One reason for that would be to allow Platini to start lobbying again once his current suspension is over – provided he has not been banned for longer in the meantime. Another would be to provide time for untainted candidates to come forward especially with South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon also out of the equation having been banned for six years.
The case against any delay is that potential contenders may already be considering standing based a February election. Plus the fact of course that FIFA simply can’t be left rudderless for another seven months.
To add further intrigue to the whole mix, Asian football chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, having originally indicated he would not stand, may come forward as a candidate. AFC support was initially for Platini but if he is out the race the AFC seems uncomfortable with switching support to one of the other declared candidates and would push Salman forward. UEFA is also believed to be looking for its own man to put forward if Platini is barred.
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