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Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jérôme Valcke suspended for 90 days Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jérôme Valcke suspended for 90 days
(about 4 hours later)
Sepp Blatter’s controversial 17-year reign as the Fifa president appears all but over after its ethics committee provisionally banned him for 90 days before the election to decide his successor in February. Sepp Blatter’s controversial 17-year reign over world football appears to be all but over after Fifa’s ethics committee banned him for 90 days along with the man who hoped to succeed him, Michel Platini.
The Uefa president, Michel Platini, who was the favourite to succeed his mentor-turned-rival until he too become embroiled in corruption allegations, has been handed an identical sanction, dealing a huge blow to his presidential ambitions. Fifa said on Thursday that Issa Hayatou is taking over as acting president. The Uefa president was favourite to succeed Blatter when he stands down in February, until he too become embroiled in corruption allegations. Platini has also been provisionally banned for 90 days, dealing a huge blow to his presidential ambitions.
The latest twist in the ongoing Fifa crisis came as the International Olympic Committee added to the growing cries for independent reform, with its president Thomas Bach declaring “enough is enough” and calling for an external candidate to take over.
“Fifa must realise that this is now about more than just a list of candidates. This is also a structural problem and will not be solved simply by the election of a new president,” said Bach.
As Uefa’s 54 member nations arranged a crisis meeting in Nyon next week and Platini protested that the ban was a calculated move to force him out of the presidential race, FA chairman Greg Dyke said it could withdraw support from the Frenchman if the allegations were proved.
Campaigners including Transparency International pointed to the automatic promotion of Issa Hayatou, the longest serving vice president once named by Blatter as his most loyal lieutenant, to acting president as evidence of Fifa’s rotten culture.
Related: Fifa suspends Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jérôme Valcke – live!Related: Fifa suspends Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jérôme Valcke – live!
Both Blatter and Platini have been under extreme pressure since the Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Swiss mis-sold a World Cup TV rights contract to the disgraced former Fifa official Jack Warner in 2006 and made a “disloyal payment” of £1.3m to Platini in 2011. Blatter and Platini deny any wrongdoing. Both Blatter and Platini have been under extreme pressure since the Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the Swiss Fifa president mis-sold a World Cup TV rights contract to the disgraced former Fifa official Jack Warner in 2006.
The payment, related to a contract that Platini had between 1998 and 2002 to act as an adviser to Blatter, was made in 2011, months before the 79-year-old Swiss was re-elected for a fourth term. He is also alleged to have made a “disloyal payment” of £1.3m to Platini, against the interests of Fifa, in 2011. Blatter and Platini, who has been interviewed as “somewhere between a witness and the accused”, deny any wrongdoing.
Fifa later said that Blatter had been “relieved of his duties” after four decades at the heart of world football’s governing body and would not be allowed to represent the organisation in any form for its 90 day duration. Platini said he rejected the “astonishingly vague” allegations. “Despite the farcical nature of these events, I refuse to believe that this is a political decision taken in haste in order to taint a lifelong devotee of the game or crush my candidacy for the Fifa presidency,” he said.
In addition, the Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke, who has already been put on leave over allegations concerning the sale of World Cup tickets, has now been provisionally banned for 90 days. Fifa said in a statement: “The duration of the bans may be extended for an additional period not exceeding 45 days.” “I want everyone to know my state of mind: more than a sense of injustice or a desire for revenge, I am driven by a profound feeling of staunch defiance. I am more determined than ever to defend myself before the relevant judicial bodies.”
That would mean the suspensions of all three men would end five days before the 26 February extraordinary congress at which Blatter’s successor is due to be elected. Valcke has “unequivocally denied” any wrongdoing. Following a ruling by the ethics committee, Fifa announced Blatter had been “relieved of his duties” after four decades at the heart of world football’s governing body.
The former Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-joon, who had threatened to sue Blatter while claiming that he was being targeted on spurious grounds by the ethics committee to force him out of the presidential race, has been banned for six years and fined £67,000. “The bans come into force immediately,” said Fifa. “Joseph S Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent Fifa in any capacity, act on the organisation’s behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a Fifa representative,” a statement read.
Blatter’s personal lawyers, Lorenz Erni and Richard Cullen, said the ethics committee had not followed its own procedures. “The ethics committee based its decision on a misunderstanding of the actions of the attorney general in Switzerland, which has opened an investigation but brought no charge against the president,” they said. “In fact, the prosecutors will be obliged by law to dismiss the case if their investigation, barely two weeks old, does not establish sufficient evidence.” Following an emergency meeting of Uefa’s executive committee, it said it was standing behind Platini. In apparent defiance of Fifa, it said it saw no need for him to be replaced “at this moment in time” as he sought to clear his name.
The move by the ethics committee represents the latest stage in the slow-motion collapse of the Fifa house of cards since US prosecutors sent the organisation spiralling into crisis in May, though the extent to which Fifa remains mired in chaos is reflected in the fact that Issa Hayatou was once censured by the International Olympic Committee over bribery claims, which he denied, and recently changed the statutes of the Confederation of African Football to allow him to retain the presidency he has held since 1988. In addition, the Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke, who has already been put on leave over allegations concerning the sale of World Cup tickets, was also provisionally banned for 90 days. Fifa said the suspensions could be extended for 45 days at the discretion of the ethics committee while investigations continue.
According to Uefa’s statutes, the immediate replacement for Platini will be the longstanding Spanish FA chief Ángel María Villar-Llona, who also remains under investigation by the Fifa ethics committee for failing to cooperate with Michael Garcia’s investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. That would mean all three men could return five days before the 26 February extraordinary congress at which Blatter’s successor is due to be elected. Valcke has also “unequivocally denied” any wrongdoing.
Platini had earlier released a statement criticising an “unacceptable” leak of his probable suspension that he described as “essentially an attempt to damage my reputation”. The former Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-joon, who had threatened to sue Blatter while claiming that he was being targeted on spurious grounds by the ethics committee to force him out of the presidential race, has been banned for six years and fined £67,000.
Related: Fifa is functionally bankrupt – someone from the outside must take over now Chung said that he would fight the decision and accused the ethics committee of acting as Blatter’s “hitman”. He said the sanctions against him represented the “profoundly irresponsible and unethical nature of Fifa”.
He added: “I have always acted and expressed myself with honesty, courage and candour, as I feel that this is my moral duty. If what is being reported regarding the intentions of the investigatory chamber of the Fifa ethics committee is indeed true, I will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth is known. Nobody should be in any doubt as to my determination to achieve that objective.” Blatter’s personal lawyers, Lorenz Erni and Richard Cullen, claimed the ethics committee had not followed its own procedures.
Blatter was re-elected in May days after US prosecutors alleged a “World Cup of fraud” in a 164-page indictment and charged 14 individuals, including nine current or former Fifa executives, with a series of offences. Days later he promised to stand down in February 2016 and has repeatedly reiterated his desire to remain in post until then.Blatter was re-elected in May days after US prosecutors alleged a “World Cup of fraud” in a 164-page indictment and charged 14 individuals, including nine current or former Fifa executives, with a series of offences. Days later he promised to stand down in February 2016 and has repeatedly reiterated his desire to remain in post until then.
Blatter is technically free to return in January or February, depending on whether the extra 45 days is invoked, before the extraordinary congress he has called on 26 February to decide his successor. Platini is expected to appeal against the suspension in the next two days. Beyond that, he could go to the court of arbitration for sport.
Platini had submitted his papers early on Thursday morning to stand as a candidate for the Fifa presidency, including the five nominations required, but his hopes of succeeding Blatter appear to have been dealt a terminal blow. Until now the FA has stood behind Platini, whose candidacy it strongly supported before the allegations became public. But Dyke said it would reconsider if it was proved Platini had “not behaved properly or has behaved dishonestly”.
He technically remains a candidate but it is unclear whether he will be able to pass the integrity check those standing must undergo. “I can see why people are saying we should stop supporting him now, but we will follow what the ethics committee decides,” said Dyke.
Platini is expected to appeal against the suspension to the Fifa appeals committee in the next two days. Beyond that, he could go to the court of arbitration for sport. “Platini claims it’s a fix, but if they decide he has behaved improperly we will not support him and I’m sure I would have the backing of the FA board on that.”
The investigatory arm of Fifa’s ethics committee is headed by the Swiss Cornel Borbely and the adjudicatory arm is chaired by the German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert. Sports minister Tracey Crouch called for “full scale reform” of Fifa. She said: “Blatter has hung on to his position for too long and a new president must drive through widespread change.”
The enmity between Platini, who helped the Fifa president to power in 1998 and remained a close adviser thereafter, and Blatter has become increasingly bitter in recent months. If Platini and Chung are ruled out of the race, the only remaining declared candidate is Prince Ali, the Jordanian royal who failed to unseat Blatter in May.
The Uefa president backed Prince Ali, the Jordanian royal who stood against Blatter in May, and then announced he would seek to succeed the 79-year-old Swiss himself. The Bahrainian Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman, the South African Tokyo Sexwale and the former Brazilian international Zico are also considering whether to stand ahead of the October 26 deadline.
If Platini and Chung are ruled out of the race to succeed Blatter, the only remaining declared candidate is Prince Ali.
However, the Bahrainian Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman will now be considering his options. The South African Tokyo Sexwale and the former Brazilian international Zico are also considering whether to stand.
But the new wave of chaos enveloping Fifa HQ, currently effectively being run by advisers from law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan under the direction of acting secretary general Markus Kattner, will also lead to new calls for the presidential elections to be postponed.
Campaigners, backed by four major US sponsors who on Friday called for Blatter to go now, want to see a truly independent reform process that would offer a clean break from the past.Campaigners, backed by four major US sponsors who on Friday called for Blatter to go now, want to see a truly independent reform process that would offer a clean break from the past.
Longer term, it is the criminal investigations by the US Department of Justice and the Swiss attorney general’s office that will decide the fate of many of those entwined with Fifa corruption down the decades. Related: Fifa is functionally bankrupt – someone from the outside must take over now
Both the Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber and the US attorney general, Loretta Lynch, have vowed to continue their investigations as those arrested in May battle against extradition.
Lauber has said the Swiss investigation, which is trawling through 11TB of data and 121 suspect banking transactions, is “not even at half-time”. Lynch has promised more arrests.
Earlier this week, Blatter said the Swiss investigation was outrageous. “This is just an investigation, not an indictment,” he told the German magazine Bunte. “I will fight until 26 February. For myself. For Fifa. I am convinced that evil will come to light and good will prevail.”