Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter banned for another six years is the main talking point today. He has been banned from football for a further six years and eight months after breaching several ethics codes. The ban will come into play as soon as his current suspension ends in October. The same punishment has been handed to FIFA’s former secretary-general Jerome Valkie.
Both have also been fined £780,000 for their wrongdoings. FIFA released a statement saying: “The investigations into Messrs Blatter and Valcke covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments in relation to FIFA competitions that were paid to top FIFA management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by FIFA of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke.”
Blatter Banned for Further Six Years
Original Ban
Sepp Blatter was originally banned from football in 2015 for eight years before it was reduced to six years. The first ban came after the former FIFA president was found guilty of a dereliction of duty over a £1.35 million ‘disloyal payment’ to Michael Platini made in 2011 just before a presidential election.
Everything infamously came to a standstill, of course, in 2015 when Swiss Police raided a hotel before nine senior officials of FIFA were indicted on charges of money laundering and racketeering. Since then, the corporation has struggled to stray away from the constant reminders and claims of corruption.
Reasons for New Ban
With his current ban reaching its end, the now 85-year-old Blatter would have been relieved to have an opportunity to make a return to football. Luckily for all those involved in the game, that return will not be happening any time soon.
This time around, Blatter has been found guilty of breaching rules concerning the duty of loyalty, conflicts of interests and offering or accepting gifts or other benefits.
The investigation sprung into action in December when FIFA filed a criminal complaint against the former president over the finances of the football museum in Zurich. The museum opened in 2016 after £104.2 million of football money was used to refurbish the office building.
Football’s governing body claimed criminal mismanagement of the project by FIFA’s former bosses and companies.
Other key points of the investigation, which started in December, include Blatter’s secondary interests. Due to the fact he could decide his own bonus and salary with relative ease, Blatter could not perform his duties with integrity in an independent manner.
The investigation also found that he was pursuing his own personal and financial interests and revealed a constant breach of FIFA’s code of ethics.
With the investigation concluded and Blatter banned once more, football can now continue to recover and eradicate any form of corruption.
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