FIFA Reject the Appeals of Blatter and Platini but Reduce 8-Year Bans

The bans imposed on current president of FIFA Sepp Blatter and the suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini from all activities related to football, have been confirmed. Still, the two men saw their suspensions reduced from eight to six years by the International Federation of Association Football appeals committee.

Although the bans were not lifted, the 2-year reduction came after the appeals committee took into consideration the activities and services provided by both Blatter and Platini to FIFA, UEFA and football as a whole.

Both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were found guilty on charges of an unauthorised $2-million “disloyal payment” to Platini that had been given the green light by Platini. Both men denied doing anything wrong and have announced their intentions of taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal.

According to Blatter and Platini’s statements, the $2-million payment that have been reported as a breach followed a verbal agreement between the two of them made in 1998. The agreement was related to work carried out by Michel Platini at the time he was working as a technical advisor for FIFA’s ongoing president.

The 79-year-old Blatter shared in an official statement his disappointment with the decision of the International football federation’s appeal committee. Platini, on the other hand, called the decision a political one and categorised it as “insulting and shameful.”

There will be elections to find a replacement for Blatter at the presidential position of FIFA that are to take place on Friday. February 26th. He has been occupying the job since 1998.

Sepp Blatter had already announced his decision to quit the position after the reports for him being investigated in the US emerged in the media. Platini, on the other hand, had been considered as a possible leader of FIFA’s governing body. He is an ex star of the France national football team and a three-time European Footballer of the Year. After retiring from active football career, he was appointed as the European football’s governing body chief in 2007.

Platini also released an official statement after the announcement of the appeals committee, saying that the accusations against them had absolutely no ground and were completely made up. He also described the communication of the decision as an action of a great arrogance. Platini also said he was a victim of a system which only goal was to stop him from being elected as president of FIFA.