FIFA ethics investigators said on Tuesday that they "planned an appeal that could extend eight-year bans" on FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini, "raising the possibility of lifelong exclusion," according to Miller & Homewood of REUTERS. Blatter and Platini were both banned from football last month for ethics violations, "leaving the global game leaderless as it seeks to dig itself out from beneath a slew of corruption cases." Both have "denied wrongdoing." The two "escaped potential lifetime bans demanded by the committee's investigatory arm" when the panel's adjudicatory chamber found no evidence of bribery linked to a 2M Swiss franc payment FIFA made to Platini in '11, with Blatter's approval. Investigatory panel spokesperson Andreas Bantel said, "We have announced we plan to appeal the 8-year bans against Platini and Blatter" (REUTERS, 1/12). The PA's Martyn Ziegler reported a spokesperson for FIFA's ethics investigatory chamber said, "I can confirm that we intend to appeal." FIFA's appeal committee "will hear the appeals from Blatter, Platini and the investigatory chamber." The case "can then go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport." FIFA's ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert banned the pair "on charges including offering and accepting gifts, conflict of interest, and violating their fiduciary duty to FIFA" (PA, 1/12).
SO SORRY: REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale "feels sorry" for Blatter, and has described his work as a "monument." Sexwale, a South African businessman and politician, "is one of five candidates standing to replace Blatter." Sexwale said, "I feel very sorry for him. He is a friend. I've spoken on the phone to Blatter and Platini, and they are leaders so they have to deal with it. They have to face their mistakes, but let's not bury the good that they have done" (REUTERS, 1/11).
DISAPPOINTED CHAMPAGNE: The AFP reported French FIFA presidential candidate Jérôme Champagne said that a televised debate between the five hopefuls for the FIFA presidency has been canceled "because three contenders refused to take part." Champagne tweeted, "Very disappointed that ESPN had to cancel the proposed live TV debate between presidential candidates planned on 29 Jan in London. Myself and Mr. Ali Al-Hussein had accepted while the 3 others refused! No additional comment needed!" (AFP, 1/12).
FIFA MUSEUM: In London, Ralph Atkins reported FIFA's world football museum opens to the public in Zürich next month "without any full reference to the scandals that have engulfed the sport’s governing body and its president." FIFA Museum Managing Dir Stefan Jost at the media launch said, "It is history in the making, so we need a little more distance." The 140M Swiss francs ($140M) project, based in a former bank building in central Zürich, "was initiated" by Blatter. It gives FIFA's president a "low profile, although he is featured in a historical timeline." Jost said that the scandals would eventually "find [their] way into the museum" and would not be ignored (FINANCIAL TIMES, 1/12).
