Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini Suspended by FIFA Ethics Committee

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, the respective presidents of FIFA and UEFA, were hit with suspensions after recommendation from world football's ethics committee.

The judiciary chamber endorsed the recommendation, determining Blatter and Platini will each be provisionally suspended for 90 days. Jerome Valcke, the FIFA secretary general, was also suspended.

News of the sanctions came via Martyn Ziegler of the Press Association on Oct. 8.

FIFA confirmed the suspensions on its official website, also deciding to suspend former FIFA Vice-President Chung Mong-joon:

"

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 grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The chairman of the chamber is Dr Cornel Borbely. The investigation into Joseph S. Blatter is being carried out by Robert Torres, the investigation into Michel Platini by Vanessa Allard.

"

It has been alleged that Blatter signed an “unfavourable” contract for the organisation and made a “disloyal payment” to Platini. The Swiss attorney general has opened criminal proceedings against the 79-year-old Blatter.

On Monday, BBC Sport reported Platini provided "no evidence" for the payment from Blatter.

Due to the investigation, the ethics committee requested a ban for Blatter, who is expected to step down as president in February. The head of FIFA's ethics adjudicatory chamber, Hans-Joachim Eckert, made the ruling on Thursday. Platini's and Valcke's bans are also in line with the aforementioned investigation, although UEFA has confirmed it won't suspend Platini from the European governing body, per Sky Sports News.

Blatter is appealing the punishment, and Sam Borden of the New York Times passed long details of the appeal letter:

"

In the letter, Mr. Blatter’s legal team demands the opportunity to see the case file the ethics committee reviewed during its proceedings — a request that reflects a belief that the ethics committee’s decision was based almost entirely on the fact that the Swiss attorney general’s office has recently opened an investigation into Mr. Blatter. Assuming a presumption of innocence, Mr. Blatter’s attorneys argue, it is premature to impose any kind of suspension, especially if the investigation is subsequently dropped for lack of evidence.

The letter also demands a hearing that will allow Mr. Blatter and his attorneys to argue the merits of their case in full; before the suspension was announced, Mr. Blatter was only allowed to defend himself in a short interview with investigators.

Additionally, the appeal noted – with some disgust – the treatment Mr. Blatter received, pointing out that he only learned of the decision to suspend him when FIFA announced it publicly. According to a person with knowledge of the events, Mr. Blatter read the decision of the ethics committee on his office computer.

"

According to the FIFA statement, Mong-joon has been suspended for infringing five different articles in respect of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. They include "General rules of conduct," "Confidentiality" and "Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting."

Ziegler confirmed Issa Hayatou, the president of the Confederation of African Football and FIFA vice-president, will take over.

The organisation’s major sponsors, including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Budweiser and Visa, had already called for Blatter to step down immediately amid the investigation.

The FIFA chief told German magazine Bunte (via BBC) on Oct. 7 that the allegations were “outrageous” and he was being "condemned without there being any evidence for wrongdoing.”

Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images

Platini released his own statement on Oct. 8 before the ethics committee's ruling, branding the allegations as an "insidious leak" and "an attempt to damage my reputation," per the Guardian.

The Swiss authorities' investigation relates to claims Blatter sold television rights at an unfair price to former FIFA official Jack Warner. The United States Department of Justice indicted Warner as part of the widespread May arrests of FIFA officials on the eve of the organisation's congress.

Blatter is also alleged to have paid Platini, who has reportedly provided evidence to the investigation, a sum of £1.3 million in 2011 for work done for the FIFA president. The attorney general has claimed that the UEFA chief’s status is currently "in between a witness and an accused person.”

The world players' union FIFPro gave their reaction to the suspensions in a statement on their official website, condemning the "crisis" the beautiful game currently faces:

"

FIFPro is disappointed to learn that some of world football’s highest-ranking officials are now suspended by FIFA’s Ethics Committee as the game lurches from one crisis to another. While inappropriate to comment on individuals under investigation, a pattern has emerged that leaves FIFPro with little or no confidence in the ability of FIFA to reform from within. It also casts further doubt on the process regarding the proposed FIFA Presidential election on February 26.

"

VALERY HACHE/Getty Images

A 90-day suspension sees Blatter banished from the organisation until January, a month before he is scheduled to resign his presidential post. 

Hayatou will take over from Blatter during his suspension and he has a controversial past. It was alleged in 2010 that Hayatou had taken bribes in the 1990s over the sale of marketing rights. He was also accused of taking a $1.5 million bribe in order to lend his backing to Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup.