Fifa bans both Blatter and Platini from soccer for 8 years

[GENEVA] Fifa banned suspended president Joseph "Sepp" Blatter and European soccer boss Michel Platini for eight years each over an unauthorised 2 million-Swiss franc (S$2.84 million) payment, further damaging both men's reputations and ending Platini's chances of taking over the sport's governing body.

Mr Blatter was fined 50,000 francs and Mr Platini 80,000 francs, the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's Ethics Committee said Monday in an e-mailed statement. The eight-year bans take effect immediately. Mr Blatter made the payment to Mr Platini in 2011.

"Mr Blatter's actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA's regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as president of Fifa," the chamber said in its ruling.

Mr Blatter, who's overseen Fifa for nearly two decades, and Uefa president Mr Platini were suspended from all soccer activities Oct 8 after Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into the payment. The move essentially ended Mr Blatter's 17-year presidency and delivered a blow to Mr Platini's chances in the Feb 26 elections for Fifa president. Mr Platini was handed another setback Dec 11 when the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the appeal of his 90-day suspension, saying it saw no need to overturn it.

Mr Blatter and Mr Platini have denied wrongdoing, saying Mr Blatter was fulfilling an oral contract between the two for services the Frenchman provided to Fifa between 1998 and 2002. The final payment on the contract was made in 2011.

BLOOMBERG