Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini could yet face lifetime bans from all soccer-related activity after the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee confirmed it was seeking to increase the eight-year suspensions handed out to the pair.
The original sanction imposed because of an approximately $1.9 million payment in 2011 made to Platini while he was UEFA president and signed off on by Blatter while he was FIFA president was issued by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee last month, although both men have appealed the verdicts.
Platini has withdrawn from the race to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in February’s election in order to defend his name.
A spokesman for the investigatory chamber told that “The investigatory chamber intends to appeal against the decision against Mr. Blatter and Mr. Platini at the appeal committee of FIFA.”
Although the investigatory chamber has never disclosed the punishment it was seeking, both Blatter and Platini have confirmed it would prevent them from working in soccer again.
The case will now go to FIFA’s appeal committee, which will hear from Blatter, Platini and the investigatory chamber.
Platini’s withdrawal from the race to be president means Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale will stand in the election.