Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned from football by FIFA

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been handed an eight year ban from football by FIFA.

The longtime FIFA President, Blatter and his heir apparent, UEFA President, Platini, were judged to have been involved in wrong doing by a FIFA ethics committee. 

The eight year ban is sure to end Blatter's football administration career and will surely be a stumbling block to any hopes Platini has of ever taking on the FIFA presidency. 

The controversy arose over a payment of 2 million Swiss Francs from Blatter to Platini agreed in 1999 but only paid in 2011. Neither men have been able to provide a written contract for the payment or explain why it was only made in 2011, mere weeks before Blatter was to stand for re-election for the FIFA Presidency. 

The fact that the payment did not appear in the FIFA accounts has formed part of the case against them. 

Blatter has vowed to appeal the ban but Platini is yet to comment. 

Via The Guardian