By Andrew Warshaw
December 2 – Six months after making his final appeal against being punished for ethics violations, Sepp Blatter will learn on Monday whether he has successfully cleared his name or will for ever be tarnished by his ban from the game.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport’s highest tribunal, is set to announce its verdict but whatever it decides Blatter’s reign in charge of FIFA is over having been replaced by Gianni Infantino in February. However, failure to overturn the sanction would most likely end Blatter’s hopes of one day being named FIFA honorary president.
The 80-year-old, who headed world football’s governing body for 17 years, was banned from all football-related activity a year ago along with then-UEFA president Michel Platini after both were found guilty of unethical conduct relating to a CHF 2 million payment made by FIFA to Platini in 2011.
An eight-year ban was first imposed by FIFA’s ethics judge but FIFA’s appeal committee reduced it to six years.
If the CAS verdict goes against Blatter (as it did with Platini who had his sentence further reduced to four years but was not the outcome he was hoping for) it could technically be further challenged at the Swiss supreme court. But Blatter, who is mainly fighting reputational damage, made it clear in August he would not take his case that far even though he denies any wrongdoing in authorising the payment to Platini.
Both insist the money was the balance Platini was owed for uncontracted consultancy work he did between 1999-2002 in advising Blatter but FIFA’s ethics committee judged the deal, which was purely oral and not recorded in the FIFA files, was a conflict of interest.
The so-called “disloyal payment” also led Blatter to be placed under investigation for criminal mismanagement by Swiss federal prosecutors, an investigation that is ongoing.
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