Sepp Blatter Says 'New Facts' Drive Challenge of Six-Year Ban

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said "new facts" are driving his decision to take on world football's governing body as he seeks to have his six-year suspension from the sport overturned. 

Blatter was given the ban in 2015 due to financial misconduct, but he tweeted on Friday that he plans to contest the FIFA Ethics Committee's decision:

The committee found a "disloyal payment" of 2 million Swiss Francs (€1.8 million) made by Blatter to former UEFA President Michel Platini and banned both for eight years. Appeals through the Court of Arbitration for Sport later saw Blatter's ban reduced to six years, while Platini's was halved to four years.

Blatter also released a statement in conjunction with his tweet detailing his decision to intensify his fight following the discovery of "new facts," per AFP (h/t France 24):

"My aim is to look into the decision of FIFA's Ethics Committee in view of information, and even evidence that I have received, in the meantime, in connection with my suspension.

"We are working on this case ? and looking forward for development ... for the time being there is no legal action."

It was also in 2015 that United States federal prosecutors arrested numerous high-ranking FIFA officials in connection with money-laundering, wire fraud and racketeering.

The Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward highlighted the immediate public reaction to Blatter's announcement as evidence there was a lack of support for the former FIFA head's decision to fight the ban:

Blatter served as FIFA president for 17 years but is prevented from working in the sport again until 2021, having been handed his original ban in December 2015, per BBC Sport.

Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press reported further details behind the 81-year-old's suspension, with three judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport agreeing his punishment was "reasonable and fair":

Per the AFP report, Platini was unsuccessful in attempting to overturn his four-year ban through the civil courts and will not attempt to find a solution through the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Blatter's spokesman Thomas Renggli was asked to clarify some details of the supposed evidence that has emerged. "We are working on it," he replied, per the Associated Press (h/t MailOnline).