adminZURICH. — Leading figures in football hit out at the disgraced Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini after they were handed eight-year bans from the sport. FIFA president Blatter and UEFA president Platini have been banned from all footballing activities after the association’s ethics tribunal said they had abused their positions over a suspect $2 million payment (1,8 million/euro).
Dutch FA (KNVB) chief Michael van Praag, a UEFA vice-president, admitted the verdict on Platini was extremely damaging for the governing body of the European game.
“It is extremely scandalous for football as a whole and for its administrators in particular,” Van Praag said in a statement published on the KNVB website.
“It is a new low point in the activities and the perception of FIFA in particular, but also UEFA, because of Platini’s personal involvement,” he said.
Van Praag, who had been a candidate to stand against Blatter in the FIFA presidential elections back in May before withdrawing, added that the ruling was nevertheless proof of the “growing capacity” of FIFA to clean itself up.
Both Blatter and Platini have said they will appeal, but English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke described Blatter’s reaction to his ban as “rather sad”.
“He just doesn’t separate himself from FIFA. He thinks he is the same thing, and that’s rather sad. I don’t think he will recover from this,” said Dyke.
Dyke had initially backed Platini to replace Blatter at the head of football’s world governing body in February’s elections and admitted his “disappointment” at subsequent developments.
“We took an early decision to support Mr Platini. We thought he had done a very good job with UEFA and we were clearly all very disappointed when all this came out. We didn’t know.
“I presume that he will now . . . appeal as well, but I would think it is the end for both him and Blatter.” — AFP.
Online Reporter