Tag Archives: BLATTER

Blatter And Platini Lose FIFA Appeals, Bans Reduced

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FIFA appeals committee on Wednesday upheld the bans handed out to outgoing president of the soccer governing body, Sepp Blatter and s UEFA boss Michel Platini.

But the suspensions have been reduced from eight to six years, the BBC reports.

Both were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) “disloyal payment” to Platini. They denied any wrongdoing and have said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Blatter, 79, added in a statement that he was “very disappointed by the appeal committee of FIFA.” Platini, 60, said it was “insulting and shameful” and a “political decision.”

The committee said “activities and services rendered to FIFA, UEFA and football” was a mitigating factor.

FIFA’s presidential election is due to take place on Friday to find Blatter’s replacement.

Blatter and Platini said the payment honoured a verbal or gentleman’s agreement made in 1998 for work carried out by the Frenchman when he was a technical advisor for Blatter.

 

Credit: BBC

FIFA Announces Final Candidates To Replace Sepp Blatter As President In February Elections

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The ad-hoc Electoral Committee of the world’s football governing body, FIFA, has announced the candidates that will contest in it’s February 26th presidential election, that will herald a new reign in the leadership of football globally.
Names of the candidates include Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim AL Khalifa of Bahrain, Jersey Champagne of France, Gianni Infantino of Italy and Tokyo Sexwale of South Africa.

“The Ad-hoc Electoral Committee has formally admitted and declared the candidates eligible for the election of the office of FIFA president at the extraordinary FIFA Congress,” said a formal notice sent to the 209 member associations by FIFA.

The vote will be held in Zurich on Feb. 26.

FIFA Presidency : Blatter Backs Kalu

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As the FIFA Presidency election gathers steam, suspended FIFA president, Sepp Joseph Blatter has openly declared his support for former Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu to occupy the exalted position of FIFA Presidency, even as he has faulted the candidature of former Secretary General Jerome Champagne and Prince Alli of Jordan.

Speaking in Zurich, Blatter said, “The position of the FIFA president is too important to be left to just anybody. I have heard of some candidates who want to take over from me. But I find the businessman from Nigeria, Kalu very qualified and interesting because he is not only a businessman, but a politician with lots of contacts and corporate experience. He can bring his great experiences to bear in the running of world football. He is passionate about the game.

“I remember how he sponsored one of Nigerian clubs to win the CAF championship twice. He is a man that can take world football to the next level,” Blatter told the Swiss Radio monitored on Sunday.

Blatter said though Kalu had not formally declared his interest, it was in the best interest of Africa to nominate him because of his deep passion for the game.

“If Africa hopes to win the support of other federations, then they must queue behind the Nigerian business man. Football has developed beyond just any body taking over. I sacked Jerome Champgne in 2010 so how can he come back to lead an Association he tried to destroy. You need a man who can command respect and win friends for football. With Kalu, Africa stands a better chance, he concluded.

Credit: Sun

FIFA Suspends Blatter

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Members of Fifa’s ethics committee met this week after the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, 79, last month.

He was accused of signing a contract “unfavourable” to football’s governing body and making a “disloyal pay­ment” to Uefa president Michel Platini, 60.

Swiss Blatter, who had run Fifa since 1998, and Platini, who wanted to succeed him, denied any wrongdoing.

A final decision is likely to be made today by Hans Joachim Eckhert, the head of Fifa’s ethics adjudicatory chamber.

Blatter’s adviser Klauss Stohlker told BBC Sport: “The news was communicated to the president this afternoon. He is calm. Remember he is the father of the ethics com­mittee.

“This is provisional for 90 days but he is not actually suspended. The committee has not yet made a decision and their meetings continue.”

On Wednesday, Blatter told a German magazine that he was being “condemned without there being any evidence for wrongdoing”.

Read More: sunnewsonline

Breaking !! Sepp Blatter Resigns As Fifa President

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Sepp Blatter has announced he will step down as president of Fifa, calling an extraordinary congress “as rapidly as possible” at which a successor will be selected.

The Swiss announced his decision at a hastily-arranged press conference on Tuesday after his secreatry-general Jerome Valcke had earlier been implicated in the US Department of Justice’s investigations into a $10m payment to indicted former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.