The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Former Fifa president, Sepp Blatter’s appeal against his six-year ban from football.
The 80-year-old Swiss who served as the president of the world football’s governing body from 1998 to 2015 was banned for allegedly making a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs ($1.98m) to Michel Platini, then the UEFA president, in 2011; a payment that was described as “an undue gift” with “no contractual basis”.
FIFA is still investigating why Sepp Blatter paid himself bonuses totalling £26 million between 2010 and 2015. Germany got £20 million for winning 2014 World Cup in Brazil and he got £8.5 million bonus for helping to organise it.
After the hearing, Blatter said “no other verdict could be expected. “I have to accept this decision. I have experienced much in my 41 years in Fifa. I mostly learned that you can win in sport, but you can also lose.”
In its verdict, Cas said Blatter “requested the annulment of the ban but did not request a reduced penalty” adding that “In any event, the panel determined that the sanction imposed was not disproportionate.”
Both Blatter and Platini were banned for eight years last December, they however had their bans reduced to six years by its appeals committee.
FIFA upholds Barcelona's transfer ban, no signing of players till 2016.
FIFA has upheld Barcelona’s transfer ban till January 2016. Recall that the Spanish club was banned few months back for breaching transfer regulations on underage players. It was temporarily lifted during the current transfer window. Its appeal against a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs ($565,500) was also rejected.
FIFA said the club will be banned from the national and international market for two consecutive transfer windows, starting in January 2015.
Barcelona immediately announced that the case would be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
A statement from the club reads thus, “FC Barcelona announces that it shall continue defending its interests before the highest sporting authority, in this case the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”