Sepp Blatter accepts Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling over football ban

06 December 2016 07:23

Sepp Blatter accepts that his footballing life is over after failing to overturn his six-year ban.

The 80-year-old Swiss, FIFA president from 1998 to 2015, lost his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his the suspension from football-related activity.

He is banned until October 2021, when he will be 85. He must also pay a fine of Swiss francs 50,000 (around £39,000).

Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini were punished in December 2015 over a £1.3million "disloyal payment" made to Platini in 2011.

Both men have protested their innocence throughout, claiming the payment was made for consultancy work the Frenchman had carried out for Blatter between 1998 and 2002, and that they had a "gentleman's agreement" on when the balance was to be settled.

Blatter described the CAS ruling as "incomprehensible", but appears to have now drawn a line on his lifetime in the game.

"I take note of the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport," Blatter said in a statement.

"The way the case progressed, no other verdict could be expected.

"What I find incomprehensible is that the existence of the oral agreement between FIFA and Michel Platini is still steadfastly negated in spite of my testimony to the contrary and the testimony given by other witnesses. A UEFA protocol mentioning the agreement is also disregarded.

"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 this sense I have to accept this decision (my suspension as FIFA president), although it is difficult to follow it, because the principle of jurisdiction - culpability has to be proven by prosecution - was not applied.

"Nevertheless I look back with gratitude to all the years, in which I was able to realise my ideals for football and serve FIFA."

FIFA acknowledged the verdict in a one-line statement.

A FIFA spokesperson said: "FIFA has taken note of the decision rendered today by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."

Source: PA