Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned from football for 8years by FIFA

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former EUFA president Michel Platini, have been banned from football for eight years after the FIFA Independent ethics Committee said the pair's 'defence wasn't convincing enough'.. Read FIFA's Official statement released this morning after the cut;

''The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr Hans Joachim Eckert has banned Mr Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, for eight years and Mr Michel Platini, Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee of FIFA and President of UEFA, for eight years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately.''

Issa Hayatou will serve as acting president of Fifa, the world governing body has announced.

Fifa said on Thursday morning that Sepp Blatter had been relieved of his duties and that Issa Hayatou, the head of African football from Cameroon, would be acting president.

The Fifa statement said, “Today, in accordance with Fifa’s code of ethics, Joseph S. Blatter was relieved of all his duties as Fifa president following the decision to provisionally ban him from all football activities on a national and international level.

“Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent Fifa in any capacity, act on the organisation’s behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a Fifa representative.

“Issa Hayatou, as the longest-serving vice-president on Fifa’s executive committee, will serve as acting president of Fifa.”

Blatter lawyers say FIFA rules not followed

Lawyers for FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Thursday that the watchdog that suspended Blatter for 90 days had failed to follow its own rules by not letting him give evidence.

The Swiss and American lawyers predicted that a criminal investigation against the 79-year-old Swiss official would be dropped.

“President Blatter was disappointed that the Ethics Committee did not follow the code of ethics and disciplinary code, both of which provide for an opportunity to be heard,” said a statement released after FIFA announced the suspension of Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini.

FIFA suspends Sepp Blatter for 90 days

FIFA ethics committee has suspended its president Sepp Blatter for 90 days. Head of the committee,  Klaus Stoehlker, who has advised Blatter in the past, says the committee made the ruling pending further investigations by the Swiss attorney general following accusations of corruption.

He described it as a "pending" verdict, and said no negative finding had been made against the head of world football's governing body.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter sprayed with fake dollar bills during press conference

Disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter was sensationally sprayed with fake dollar notes by British comedian Simon Brodkin who gatecrashed his press conference in Zurich this afternoon.

Simon, who also goes by the name, Jason Bent & Lee Nelson, who is a well known prankster, walked up to Blatter's position behind a table at the front of the stage and placed a sum of money on the table and said: ‘This is for North Korea 2026’, before throwing the money into the air, which rained down on Blatter. Simon was later taken away by Swiss police. 

See the photos after the cut...