SEPP Blatter is facing the prospect of a humiliating end to his controversial reign as Fifa president after being told he has been recommended for a 90-day provisional suspension by Fifa’s ethics committee.
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Blatter’s long-term confidant Klaus Stoehlker said the decision by judge Hans-Joachim Eckert on the provisional suspension was expected by Friday.
He is accused of signing a contract “unfavourable” to football’s governing body and making a “disloyal payment” to Uefa president Michel Platini.
The Platini payment being investigated was made in February 2011 for work he carried out as Mr Blatter’s technical adviser between 1999 and 2002. But Chung said he believes Blatter should pay for the damage he has caused FIFA during a 40-year career, including the last 17 as president. Fifa owns the lucrative TV rights to the Football World Cup.
The ethics committee had been meeting in Zurich since Monday. “Blatter and Mr Valcke [Fifa’s suspended general secretary] should pay the fine from their own pocket”.
“For his payment without executive committee approval, I plan to sue Mr Blatter for embezzlement in court”. The committee has not yet made a decision and their meetings continue, ” he added.
Meanwhile, former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon has hit out at Mr Blatter, calling him “a hypocrite and a liar” and threatening a legal case for embezzlement of FIFA funds.
Mayne-Nicholls last year said he wanted to run against Blatter for the presidency. That came four days after Blatter was elected to a fifth, four-year term despite FIFA being plunged into crisis after 14 people were indicted in an American investigation into soccer bribery. “That is really quite outrageous”, Blatter told German magazine Bunte in a report made available ahead of yesterday’s publication. However, Blatter’s lawyers have issued a statement saying that their client has not been notified of any action by the Ethics Committee. He provided the investigation with all the information related to the transaction and has so far only been a witness in the case.
“FIFA has become a badge of shame”.
“Then they should try all these people, Prince William and Prime Minister Cameron too”, he told the “Leaders in Sport Business” event in London.
Stohlker said earlier this week in an interview with persoenlich.com that Blatter was able to “withstand the pressure” of his situation.
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FIFA declined to comment on Chung’s speech referring inquires to Blatter’s lawyer, who was not immediately available for comment.
