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World football rocked by suspension of Blatter, Platini

That leaves Issa Hayatou, 69, of Cameroon, FIFA’s vice president and the head of the African soccer federation since 1988, in charge.

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World football chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were suspended Thursday, engulfed by a deepening corruption scandal as their sport faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States.

The suspensions can be extended by up to 45 days.

“Enough is enough”, IOC President Thomas Bach said.

“They must act swiftly to regain credibility because you can not forever dissociate the credibility of FIFA from the credibility of football”.

Hayatou said he would not stand for president in February but remained committed to the reform process.

A statement said: “UEFA is fully aware of its responsibilities under the relevant provisions of the statutes”.

“I reject all the allegations that have been made against me”, he said of the suspension ordered by Fifa’s ethics committee.

UEFA’s executive committee said on Thursday night it had “full confidence” in Platini and would not be replacing him as president.

Critics in Zambia accuse Kalusha for insisting on hanging on to power when his three terms in the FAZ executive expires in March 2016 for fear of the financial mismanagement under his tenure being exposed which may open him to further potential criminal investigations.

Platini has been named in the inquiry over a $2 million (1.8 million euros) payment from the world body in 2011.

“The decision, which I will of course contest in the appropriate manner at the appropriate time, had already been the subject of a deliberate leak, and I gave my opinion on that earlier in the day”, he said in a statement.

“President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise”, they said.

There was no immediate comment from Platini.

Platini claimed the fact that news of the impending ban was leaked on Wednesday was an attempt to damage his reputation.

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Blatter’s proclamation of innocence is unlikely to sway German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who chairs FIFA’s ethics committee and is the man who approved the suspension.

Sepp Blatter appeals FIFA suspension citing'brusque and unfair treatment