Former FIFA exec Jack Warner "has raised suspicion at the timing of his life ban from participating in any kind of football-related activity worldwide," according to the GUARDIAN. The ban, handed down by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee, came as the organization "finds itself embroiled in ... corruption scandals." Pressure "has grown" on FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini over a US$2.05M payment for which Blatter is subject to a Swiss criminal investigation. Warner said, "[If] FIFA wants to ban me for life without even a hearing then so be it. I do not believe, however, that this will serve as the distraction to the FIFA's present problems as the FIFA wishes it to be." Warner added, "Given what is happening in Zurich with Blatter I wish to say that there is no such thing as coincidence" (GUARDIAN.com, 9/29). The adjudicatory arm of FIFA’s independent ethics committee in an email wrote Warner "was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes." FIFA said that its decision "was based on reviews of bidding" for the '18 and '22 World Cups. BLOOMBERG NEWS' Panja & Miller note Warner "has both denied any wrongdoing and threatened to produce an 'avalanche' of evidence against Blatter and other FIFA officials" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 9/29).
NOTHING TO SEE HERE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Robinson & Futterman cite sources as saying that Blatter and Platini "denied wrongdoing a day after FIFA’s ethics committee launched a probe that could provisionally ban them from the organization as early as this week." Platini said that the '11 payment being called into question was "for work conducted under contract" for FIFA between '99-'02. Platini in a letter to UEFA's 54 member associations wrote during those years he was "employed by FIFA to work on a wide range of matters relating to football." He added, "It was a full-time job and my functions were known by all" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/29).
MELTDOWN MODE? The AP's Rob Harris reports former FIFA Exec Committee member Chung Mong-Joon, who also is a candidate to replace Blatter, indicated that an emergency task force "should be set up to run FIFA during its leadership crisis." Chung, who hails from South Korea, said that FIFA is "in 'total meltdown'" given that Blatter is "under criminal investigation and general secretary Jerome Valcke suspended from work and being investigated by the FIFA ethics committee." Chung: "FIFA is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. However, this is also an unprecedented opportunity to reform it. If all those who love football can bring their collective wisdom to bear on reforming FIFA, it will be possible to save and revitalize it" (AP, 9/29). Chung insisted that FIFA is "still the right organisation to run the world's most popular sport, but only if the current leadership is ousted." Chung: "The most urgent task at hand is to root out corruption from within FIFA. Justice must be served. Resuscitating FIFA, however, should be left to those who love football. The future of football should not be left in the hands of outsiders" (REUTERS, 9/29).
