FIFA ethics committee requests Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini sanctions

By Simon Sinclair, Reporter | 21 November 2015

FIFA's ethics committee's report into alleged wrongdoing by Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini requests for sanctions to made against the duo.

FIFA's ethics committee has submitted its final report into an investigation into alleged corruption by Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, which has requested sanctions against the duo.

FIFA president Blatter and UEFA president Platini are currently serving provisional 90-day suspensions ahead of the outcome of the investigation, while both men had their appeals against their bans dismissed by the committee earlier this week.

World football's governing body has revealed that the final reports into an alleged "disloyal payment" of £1.3m made from FIFA to Platini in 2011 have been submitted, and that they have asked for sanctions to be made against the Frenchman and the Swiss.

"The investigatory chamber of the independent ethics committee has submitted its final reports containing requests for sanctions against Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini to the adjudicatory chamber chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert," the statement read.

"The final report regarding Joseph S Blatter was submitted by Robert Torres, the report regarding Michel Platini was submitted by Vanessa Allard. For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the chamber will not publish details of the concluded reports and the requested sanctions against the two officials.

"In accordance with the provisions of article 35 paragraph 2 c) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee, Dr Cornel Borbely, withdrew from the proceedings against Joseph S Blatter from the start.

"As the two proceedings are closely related and to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interests, Dr Borbely also withdrew from the proceedings against Michel Platini."

Platini has taken his appeal against his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as he seeks to clear his name ahead of the FIFA presidential elections in February.