|
 Blatter, the Swiss who has been president of world governing body
FIFA since 1998, was already due to stand down after an election to
replace him in February.
Platini, head of European body UEFA, was a frontrunner to replace
him. His shrinking election hopes now depend on whether he can
overturn the 90-day ban imposed by FIFA's Ethics Committee through
an appeal process.
Despite their denials of wrongdoing, both men have gradually been
submerged by the scandal that has rocked the world's most popular
sport, beginning with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss
luxury hotel in May.
"During this time, the above individuals are banned from all
football activities on a national and international level," the
ethics committee said.
FIFA said in a statement: "Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of
the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity,
act on the organization's behalf or communicate to media or other
stakeholders as a FIFA representative."
It said his acting replacement was Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, the
head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA's most
senior vice president.
In 2011, Hayatou, 69, was reprimanded by the International Olympics
Committee's ethics commission after he confirmed to them that he was
paid by FIFA's former marketing agency International Sport and
Leisure in 1995.
The IOC said such an action constituted a conflict of interest.
Hayatou denied any personal gain or wrongdoing.
In a statement on Thursday, the Cameroonian said he would not be a
candidate for FIFA president in February and had taken on the role
"only on an interim basis".
However, UEFA took a different and defiant stance, saying they
supported Platini, still referring to him as the organization's
president and saying they would not replace him while he appeals.
"The UEFA Executive Committee expressed its full confidence in UEFA
President Michel Platini and stands fully behind him," they said in
a statement.
Platini issued a personal statement, through UEFA's media
department, saying he was motivated by a "profound feeling of
staunch defiance".
"I have received numerous messages of support today from UEFA’s
member associations and the other confederations encouraging me to
continue my work serving football’s interests. Nothing will make me
give up on that commitment," he said.
UEFA, whose 54 member associations will gather in Nyon next
Thursday, later issued a second statement acknowledging that Platini
was suspended and that he "would not perform his official duties for
the time being" and that he had canceled several official trips.
Platini said he had submitted his nomination papers for the election
before being suspended.
The soccer federation of Germany, winner of last year's World Cup,
urged Blatter to resign and called for an emergency meeting of
FIFA's executive committee. The Asian Football Confederation
supported the call for a swift meeting of FIFA's ruling body.
"The future can only be constructed without the current president,
without Sepp Blatter," German soccer chief Wolfgang Niersbach said.
"That would be a sign of a new start and would be a mark for
everyone that cleanliness was returning to football.”
JORDANIAN RIVAL
If Platini is not able to overturn his ban and join the election
race, it would leave Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan as the
clear favorite, unless other candidates now emerge to take advantage
of the Frenchman's troubles.
South African Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela
during the apartheid era and later became a politician and
businessman, has said he is considering running.
Last week two sources told Reuters that Bahraini Sheikh Salman Bin
Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation,
would consider standing if Platini was ruled out.
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The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach,
said FIFA should consider an external candidate to succeed Blatter.
"They must do two things immediately: they must accelerate and
deepen the reform process in order to comply with accountability,
transparency and all the principles of good governance," he said in
his strongest statement yet on the crisis.
"They should also be open for a credible external presidential
candidate of high integrity, to accomplish the necessary reforms and
bring back stability and credibility to FIFA," he added.
In further disciplinary moves, FIFA also handed out a 90-day
suspension to Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who had already been
sent on leave after being accused of being part of a scheme to sell
2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price. He denies any
wrongdoing.
South Korea's former FIFA Vice-President Chung Mong-joon was banned
from the game for six years, a decision which will almost certainly
end his already slim electoral hopes.
Swiss and U.S. authorities are both investigating corruption in
world soccer, in long-running probes that have so far led to the
indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives.
Among other things, they are examining the awarding of the 2018 and
2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.
All those banned on Thursday can turn to FIFA's Appeals Committee to
try to overturn the bans, but would remain suspended throughout any
appeals process.
BLATTER 'DISAPPOINTED'
Blatter's lawyers said he was disappointed he had been suspended
without having the chance to be heard. They added he was looking
forward to presenting evidence that would prove he did not engage in
any misconduct.
The statement from the Ethics Committee did not give out details of
any offense committed by Blatter and Platini.
While it is not allowed to discuss any probes, the investigation is
almost certainly looking into a payment of 2 million Swiss francs
($2.06 million) from FIFA to Platini in 2011, nine years after he
had completed a spell working for Blatter as an adviser.
The Swiss Attorney General said on Sept. 25 it had opened a criminal
investigation into Blatter concerning that matter and a Caribbean
television rights deal. Platini is regarded as somewhere "between a
witness and an accused person" in the payment case.
Blatter has worked for FIFA for 40 years, starting as a technical
director before becoming secretary general under former president
Joao Havelange in 1981.
The 79-year-old told a German magazine this week that the Swiss
criminal investigation against him was "not correct".
($1 = 0.9708 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Joshua Franklin and Simon Evans; Editing by Mark
Trevelyan)
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