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FIFA Slaps Sepp Blatter With Eight Year Ban In Bribery Probe
As you may recall, it hasn’t been a good year for Sepp Blatter despite being the recipient of some helicopter money back in July.
On Monday, things got immeasurably worse for the 79-year-old, whose 17 year reign at the top of FIFA was suspended in October after Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into an illicit payment made to European soccer boss Michel Platini in 2011.
Now, both men have been banned from soccer for eight years and will pay a combined CHF130,000 fine (which is a bargain for Platini considering the payment at the heart of the controversy was for CHF2 million).
As Reuters notes, "the decision means that Blatter's 17 years at the helm of world soccer will end in disgrace, and spells the end of Platini's hopes of replacing the 79-year-old in a presidential election in February."
Apparently, things could have been worse.
Although FIFA’s Ethics Committee said Blatter had failed to show that there was "any legal basis" for the payment, they stopped short of calling it a bribe, which spared the two men a lifetime ban. “The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Blatter sought the execution or omission of an official act from Mr Platini," the committee said.
“Mr Blatter found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities," the committee continued, referencing the fact that Blatter was up for re-election at the time the payment was made. “By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Blatter violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA."
Blatter says he will "fight" for himself and for FIFA. “On hearing the news, I felt sad but now I feel combative,” he added. Here he is in full "combat" mode, arriving at a presser on Monday:
On the bright side, Blatter will get to keep the house as well as his "privileges" for a litte while longer:
FIFA confirm Sepp Blatter will retain his privileges, including his use of FIFA residence in Zurich, until conclusion of appeal process
— Paul Kelso (@pkelso) December 21, 2015
It was unclear whether the decision will cause Vladimir Putin to reconsider his contention that Blatter deserves a Nobel Prize.
* * *
Full statement
The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr Hans?Joachim Eckert has banned Mr Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, for eight years and Mr Michel Platini, Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee of FIFA and President of UEFA, for eight years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately.
The proceedings against Mr Blatter primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 transferred in February 2011 from FIFA to Mr Platini. Mr Blatter, in his position as President of FIFA, authorized the payment to Mr Platini which had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999. Neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment. His assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber.
The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Blatter sought the execution or omission of an official act from Mr Platini within the meaning of article 21 paragraph 1 of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE) (Bribery and corruption). However, the conduct of Mr Blatter toward Mr Platini without a legal basis constituted a breach of article 20 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits). Furthermore, Mr Blatter found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities, thus violating article 19 paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of the FCE (Conflicts of interest). By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Blatter violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA and breached article 15 of the FCE (Loyalty). 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, hence violating article 13 of the FCE (General rules of conduct).
In consequence, Mr Blatter has been banned for eight years from all soccer?related activities and fined CHF 50,000.
The investigation into the case of Mr Blatter was conducted by Mr Robert Torres, member of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The investigation resulted in a final report which was submitted to the adjudicatory chamber on 20 November 2015. The adjudicatory chamber opened formal proceedings on 23 November 2015, and the hearing of Mr Blatter took place in Zurich on 17 December 2015.
The proceedings against Mr Platini primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 that he received in February 2011 from FIFA. The payment to Mr Platini had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999. Mr Platini’s assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber.
The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Platini obtained the payment for the execution or omission of an official act within the meaning of article 21 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Bribery and corruption). Nevertheless, the conduct of Mr Platini without a legal basis constituted a breach of article 20 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits). Furthermore, Mr Platini found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities in violation of article 19 paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of the FCE (Conflicts of interest). By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Platini also violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA and breached article 15 of the FCE (Loyalty). In addition, Mr Platini failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities. His 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 Vice-President of FIFA and member of the FIFA Executive Committee, hence violating article 13 of the FCE (General rules of conduct).
In consequence, Mr Platini has been banned for eight years from all soccer?related activities and fined CHF 80,000.
The investigation into the case of Mr Platini was conducted by Ms Vanessa Allard, member of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The investigation resulted in a final report which was submitted to the adjudicatory chamber on 20 November 2015. The adjudicatory chamber opened formal proceedings on 23 November 2015, and the hearing took place in Zurich on 18 December 2015 in the presence of Mr Platini’s lawyers.
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The NSA's infinite spying on everyone on this planet can have terrible consequences for them. If only Russia were not hosting the next World Cup, else Blatter would be a happy, respected man today.
Sepp Blatter is code for Septic Matter.
FIFA made the big mistake of not selecting the UK and the USA for future world cups.
The bid from the UK was backed by the royal family and you only have to look at Prince Williams face when the bid was rejected, to see what the future held for Blatter and Co.
The press conference that he called today reminded me of the last days of Nicolae Ceausescu!The agenda is clear......
http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2015/12/as-events-spiral-ou...
Blatter is pissed. and feeling combative. Putin is all about assisting him on that
and FIFA is one wonderful example of a international institution that has both strongly corrupt and much less corrupt members, each one a national federation of football, too
somebody must be regretting all those American "Soccer Moms" putting this sport on the US admin's "radar"
Soccer (or Football, whatever you want to call it) has little chance of becoming popular in the US. Watching a 9 hour long game end in a 1-0 score don't cut it with the masses. Hell, even Baseball is starting to slide off the plate because it's too slow paced.
It's a shame, really, I think we'd be very good at the requisite postgame rioting.
seems the human attention span is shrinking at an accellerated pace, Nobebt, even zh has blizzards of new threads each day..slow sports are so 20th century man. where' my halo game set?
The UK would trounce any country at football hooliganism, it was our most famous export in the 70s/80s.
The Yanks would shit their pants if they attended a game back in the day.
Sorry, I thought you were talking about "American" football. But, of course, that is watching a 60 minute game last for 9 hours because of all the "Made for TV" breaks? At least REAL football (As it is known to the 96% of the global population which is not in the US) is continuous. Which is, of course, why it will never be popular in the US. Americans don't have the necesary attention span or appreciation of the skills involved. And it doesn't fit with the TV requirements. All those goals scored during those "Messages from our sponsors" would be quite frustrating for the audience?
As for Baseball, "Men in stretch pants" doesn't cut it in most of the globe outside the US, although in Europe school girls play a game called "Rounders" which is very similar. But without the stretch pants...
And the Post-game rioting might catch on in parts of the US (Especially Detroit, Baltimore etc) if it were not for the pre-game EATING (And Hot Dogs during the game) which is such a wonderful part of American obesity culture?
If anyone investigated the corruption in baseball dealing with stadium financing and kickbacks, former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and his crew would be in prison.
Football is essentially the same game as ice hockey, same offside rules, a lot of similarities. Of course it's not on ice it's guys running around on grass therefore slower from that aspect but compensated by double the number of players.
Soccer is becoming more popular in the U.S., partly due no doubt to the massive amounts of immigration from countries where the game is most popular. It's a safe bet that those who've never played or who don't understand the game are the most likely to find it slow and boring to watch.
I find it interesting when people comment on how boring they think soccer is, while so many of those same people like American Football, especially the NFL which has the following attributes:
An average professional football game lasts 3 hours and 12 minutes, but if you tally up the time when the ball is actually in play, the action amounts to a mere 11 minutes.
The 11 minutes of action was famously calculated a few years ago by the Wall Street Journal. Its analysis found that an average NFL broadcast spent more time on replays (17 minutes) than live play. The plurality of time (75 minutes) was spent watching players, coaches, and referees essentially loiter on the field.
Of course, watching football on TV is hardly just about the game; there are plenty of advertisements to show people, too. The average NFL game includes 20 commercial breaks containing more than 100 ads. The Journal’s analysis found that commercials took up about an hour, or one-third, of the game.
http://qz.com/150577/an-average-nfl-game-more-than-100-commercials-and-just-11-minutes-of-play/
http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406
Now combine those elements with replays that make one feel like they're waiting for a judgement in a courtroom, frequent officiating mistakes (even with all of the camera angles, a massive rule book, and the time spent on momentum killing play stoppages), no one knowing what actually constitutes a catch anymore, the over protection of quarterbacks (are they football players or not?), the liberal political commentary during a sports broadcast (don't people watch these games to escape for a few hours?), the queasy feeling you get during their insincere tributes to the military (which we now know are PAID ADS), the behavior of many of the players, etc.
While I still enjoy watching some college football (as they haven't ruined it, yet), watching the NFL now seems like a form of punishment to me, and apparently to a few others, as the ratings have been falling. American football is also facing the realization that frankly, it's a stupid game to play, considering the likelihood of serious long term health consequences.
Soccer is a far more fluid game with tons more action, it's just that Americans have been conditioned to see scoring as the only real action. To each his own, but I do find it funny when fans of American Football deride Football (Soccer).
Sounds just like the EU Ghordi?
not only "it sounds like the EU", FIFA as such, with it's "federation of federations" setup is remarkably similar to what the Soviet Union wanted to be. or the revolutionary Bavarian Council Republic
Corruption is all "Off Side" to me ??
And beside all the jokes about sports, Blatter is a despicable and corrupt cunt (As is Platinii who probably just went along for the ride) who should be behind bars. FIFA badly needs a Sebastian Coe to get it sorted out...
possible. but knowing a bit how the various federations are, I could imagine the possibility of him being completely blameless... except of having always looked the other way, this being a requirement for his office, then. Platini, on the other side, has two millions to account for. now that's evidence
Do you REALLY believe that? And I'm sure that the NSA (Now in full cooperation with the Swiss Banking Regulator) have the full scoop on ole Sepp. I expect that he will just disappear into the sunset with his ill-gotten gains.
And I repeat, FIFA needs a Sebastian Coe to root out all corruption, irrespective of where and why it exists. I was indirectly involved in the crackdown of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong in the 1980's, which was given Draconian powers to root out and prevent corruption. And that was a vey successful operation which totally eliminated corruption. So it can be done , with a will.
As they say, where there is a will, there is a way.....
What's up with the bandage on his face? Did he borrow Harry Reid's exercise equipment?
another in a long list of "one off" corruption episodes ..nothing to see here move along...our institutions are sound and just.
One of the sponsors sent him a special blade!
8 year ban?
What was his crime again, getting caught???
More questions??
Could also be a life sentence...would look more headline like.
no jail of course. that would be uncivilized.
FIFA corruption has been buzzing around for years and it shows how difficult it is to nail the crooks.
Look how the media trying to grabs attentions with such 'side shows' when there were nothing to talk about Syria or any war news.
I don't buy it & dont give a fuck
Guy sounds like the result of a bad yeast infection. Hope he does the planet a favor and pulls a Ken Lay. No one would miss this greedy narcissistic putz either...
"... FIFA’s Ethics Committee said Blatter had failed to show that there was "any legal basis" for the payment, they stopped short of calling it a bribe, which spared the two men a lifetime ban ..."
Even for something as meaningless and trivial as a child's game, the media can't say anything without first covering it in bullshit.
They spared Blatter from a lifetime ban? He's 79 and banned until he turns 87.
"FIFA's Ethics Committee"? The definition of an oxymoron?
the quip goes like this: every organization is either ethical... or has an Ethics Committee
Very funny Ghordius...
It's a bit like countries: either they are democratic or they have the word "democratic" in their name.
Or they pretend that they have a democratic system?
Seppi thought he was a one-man "world peace committee." He started with Africa and Asia and then tried to bring the M/E and Russia into the family fold. Japan/Korea OK. South Africa....a little sketchy in terms of not generating the tourism promised. So he annoyed some people. BUT, his M/E venture attracted some very dangerous enemies. He even recorded a soccer song using the Arab Idol winner, who happened to be from......Gaza. Wanted him to perform the song in Brazil. After much kerfuffle they flew someone else in to sing something or other. and Seppi was done....stick a fork in it. All the rest is BS. Seppi is a marketing genius. World Cup is the most fun international party ever, always. It's an important job. Who replaces him will tell us a lot.
Don't give this degenerate little prick credit for anything. He gave votes and power to tiny countries all over the Third World and lavished FIFA resources on them. £10 million goes a long way in Vanuatu, which has the same voting rights as soccer powerhouses like Germany or England. He was thus able buy voting power using the big countries' own money against them.
well someone had to be a "democrat" about it. The money and resources, that is. Sort of like the NFL draft. Without the draft Harbaugh could have offered a ton of money to Luck and San Fran would have had a 10 year dynasty. But, the bigger game needs some leveling.... Else England and Germany would just vote themselves to win every time and it would be boring as hell.