Fifa committee was 'asleep for four years'

 Banned Uefa president Michel Platini has accused world football's ethics committee of "sleeping" for four years before barring him from football. Platini and Fifa president Sepp Blatter were ruled to have abused their positions over a £1.3m ($2m) "disloyal payment" made to Platini in 2011. Both men are appealing against eight-year bans issued on Monday. "What was the ethics committee doing between 2011, when I was paid, and 2015?" said Platini. "Was it sleeping?" In an interview with French media agency AFP, the 60-year-old former France captain added: "Suddenly it wakes up. Ah yes, it wakes up in a Fifa election year when I'm a candidate. It's amazing." Blatter, the 79-year-old who had been Fifa boss since 1998, had already announced he was quitting, with vice-president Platini tipped to succeed the Swiss at February's election. Platini has been in charge of European football's governing body, Uefa, since 2007. The organisation back him in a statement on Monday, saying it was "extremely disappointed" with the decision. The Frenchman has submitted his candidacy but cannot stand while banned from all footballing activities.

Fifa bans Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini for 8yrs

 

 Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini have been suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation, reports BBC. They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a1.3m ($2m) "disloyal payment" made to Platini in 2011. The Fifa ethics committee found Blatter and Platini had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions. "I will fight for me and for Fifa," Blatter, 79, said at a news conference. The bans come into force immediately. Swiss Blatter and 60-year-old Frenchman Platini have also been fined 33,700 ($40,000) and 54,000 ($80,000) respectively. Both men continue to deny wrongdoing and a spokesman for Blatter confirmed he will appeal against the ban and is prepared to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Lausanne. Platini is expected to do the same. Fifa boss since 1998, Blatter had already announced he was quitting with a presidential election in February. Platini was tipped as a future leader of football's world governing body and is a three-time European Footballer of the Year. He is also a former captain of France and has been in charge of Uefa

Sepp Blatter & Michel Platini bans mark end - Greg Dyke

Eight-year bans mark "the end" for Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini, says Football Association chairman Greg Dyke. Both were found guilty of ethics breaches over a £1.3m ($2m) "disloyal payment" to Platini and suspended from all football-related activities. Having previously backed Platini for the next Fifa presidency, Dyke said the FA had yet to decide who to support. The FA "didn't know about Platini" and "were clearly disappointed", Dyke said. "We thought he had done a very good job as president of Uefa," Dyke told BBC Radio 5 live of the 60-year-old Frenchman, who is also one of seven Fifa vice-presidents. Platini and Blatter, 79, intend to appeal against their bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) and deny wrongdoing. Five candidates will now contest the Fifa presidential election to replace Blatter, 79, at a special congress on 26 February. "Having opted quite early for Platini - and we had no idea about any of this case - we haven't decided who we are going to support," said Dyke. "We're going to look at all of the candidates in January and February and make up our minds quite late. "Where Fifa finds itself is so difficult, to some extent it doesn't matter who becomes president. What matters is a proper reform programme so the excesses of the Blatter era can't be seen again." The FA suspended its support for Platini's bid to become Fifa president in October pending the ethics inquiry. The Scottish FA, who also supported Platini's bid to become Fifa president , said in a statement it would be "inappropriate to comment any further" on the verdict against Blatter and Platini while both are still able to appeal against their bans".

Soccer governing body donates watches worth $1.4M to charity

 World soccer governing body FIFA might not be able to turn back the clock on a wave of scandals but it's hoping donating watches worth an estimated $1.4m to charity will bring some closure -- on one chapter of its recent checkered history at least. Goodie bags gifted by the Brazilian Football Association to VIP attendees of a FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo ahead of the 2014 World Cup included Parmigiani watches worth $30,000 each. Subsequently FIFA's independent Ethics Committee insisted the watches be handed back, ruling they broke their Code of Ethics on the grounds they were "unauthorized gifts." Of the 65 watches only 48 have been returned, but they have now been donated to the streetfootballworld charity, which plans to plow the proceeds of their auction into Brazilian soccer projects.

Jaber Al-Ahmad stadium: 'Ghost' ground's relaunch hit by FIFA wrangle

A star-studded match to help mark the rebirth of a soccer "ghost stadium" looks like it has been impacted by football politics. Due to feature the likes of Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo and Carlo Ancelotti in FIFA-banned Kuwait, the game had been scheduled for the long-awaited reopening of the country's national arena. Organizers had released a statement saying Gerrard of the LA Galaxy, New York City FC midfielder Pirlo and former Real Madrid coach Ancelotti were to participate in the ceremonial match -- dubbed the Kuwait Champions Challenge -- on December 18 at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.