The World soccer is left leadership lest after FIFA chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were suspended on Thursday on charges bribery.
This incident has deepened the crisis s in the world football body with the apex soccer body facing criminal investigations on both sides of the Atlantic on corruption charges.
Blatter has been president of world governing body FIFA since 1998 and was already due to stand down after an election to replace him in February. O the other hand Platini was among the forerunners to replace Blatter. Platini was the head of the European body UEFA.
Platitni has been handed over a 90-day ban by FIFA's Ethics Committee and the questions about whether he would be able to get back in to the race for Presidentship of FIFA would now depend on whether he can overturn the ban.
Both Blatter and PLatini have gradually been submerged by the scandal that has engulfed the world's most popular sport despite their denials of wrongdoing. The events unfolded with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss luxury hotel in May.
"During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level," the ethics committee said.
"Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organization's behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative," FIFA said in a statement.
Along with the top two officials, Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who had already been sent on leave after being accused of being part of a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price was also handed out a 90-day suspension.
Chung Mong-joon, South Korea's former FIFA Vice-President was banned from the game for six years.
Allegations of corruption in World soccer are being investigated by both Swiss and U.S. authorities. The probe has resulted in indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives.
FIFA's most senior vice president and the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou of Cameroon was named as the acting replacement for Blatter.
However there were allegations against Hayatou as well who was reprimanded by the International Olympics Committee's ethics commission in 2011 after he confirmed to them that he was paid by FIFA's former marketing agency International Sport and Leisure in 1995.
The IOC said such an action constituted a conflict of interest. Hayatou denied any personal gain or wrongdoing.
Confirming that his role was only on an interim basis, the Cameroonian said in a statement on Thursday that he was not in the run for FIFA president’s post in February.
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan would be left as the clear favorite in case Platini is not able to overturn his ban and join the election race to be held in February next year. This, forbidding, other candidates emerging out for the race to the presidential position.
One of the names that have cropped up recently include South African Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela during the apartheid era and later became a politician and businessman.
Bahraini Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, would consider standing if Platini was ruled out, Reuters reported last week.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
This incident has deepened the crisis s in the world football body with the apex soccer body facing criminal investigations on both sides of the Atlantic on corruption charges.
Blatter has been president of world governing body FIFA since 1998 and was already due to stand down after an election to replace him in February. O the other hand Platini was among the forerunners to replace Blatter. Platini was the head of the European body UEFA.
Platitni has been handed over a 90-day ban by FIFA's Ethics Committee and the questions about whether he would be able to get back in to the race for Presidentship of FIFA would now depend on whether he can overturn the ban.
Both Blatter and PLatini have gradually been submerged by the scandal that has engulfed the world's most popular sport despite their denials of wrongdoing. The events unfolded with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss luxury hotel in May.
"During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level," the ethics committee said.
"Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organization's behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative," FIFA said in a statement.
Along with the top two officials, Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who had already been sent on leave after being accused of being part of a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price was also handed out a 90-day suspension.
Chung Mong-joon, South Korea's former FIFA Vice-President was banned from the game for six years.
Allegations of corruption in World soccer are being investigated by both Swiss and U.S. authorities. The probe has resulted in indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives.
FIFA's most senior vice president and the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou of Cameroon was named as the acting replacement for Blatter.
However there were allegations against Hayatou as well who was reprimanded by the International Olympics Committee's ethics commission in 2011 after he confirmed to them that he was paid by FIFA's former marketing agency International Sport and Leisure in 1995.
The IOC said such an action constituted a conflict of interest. Hayatou denied any personal gain or wrongdoing.
Confirming that his role was only on an interim basis, the Cameroonian said in a statement on Thursday that he was not in the run for FIFA president’s post in February.
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan would be left as the clear favorite in case Platini is not able to overturn his ban and join the election race to be held in February next year. This, forbidding, other candidates emerging out for the race to the presidential position.
One of the names that have cropped up recently include South African Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela during the apartheid era and later became a politician and businessman.
Bahraini Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, would consider standing if Platini was ruled out, Reuters reported last week.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
