A FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee spokesperson said that FIFA President Sepp Blatter "may have been banned for eight years from the game but he is still receiving his president's salary" from world football's governing body, according to Simon Evans of REUTERS. Blatter was suspended for 90 days by FIFA on Oct. 8 and then "banned from the game for eight years last month for ethics violations." Spokesperson Andreas Bantel said that Blatter, a Swiss national who has been president of FIFA since '98, "will continue to be paid until a new president is elected on Feb 26." That would mean Blatter "would have been paid for nearly five months during which time he was unable to carry out his duties, and a period in which FIFA has appointed an acting president," African football head Issa Hayatou. The compensation sub-committee of FIFA's Audit & Compliance Committee "recently ruled that it could stop Blatter's bonuses but not, according to his contract, his salary." Bantel: "Until the election of a new president on February 26, Mr Blatter is the elected president and therefore -- according to his contract -- is entitled to receive his remuneration." The size of Blatter's compensation from FIFA has "remained secret" although reforms to be voted on at the organization's February Congress "call for the disclosure of individual compensation for the president and top executives" (REUTERS, 1/19). In London, Jack de Menezes reported according to Sporting Intelligence, Blatter receives "in the region of" $6M each year, meaning that he could have received up to $1.7M since he was suspended on Oct. 8, and by the time his 18 years as president comes to an end next month, his wages could reach $2.3M "for the period that he has been suspended and banned for" (INDEPENDENT, 1/19).
KEEP IT COMING: In a separate piece, Evans reported banned UEFA President Michel Platini "will continue to be paid 'until further notice' despite being unable to carry out his duties." UEFA’s statement came after FIFA said that Blatter "was still being paid and would continue to receive his salary" until FIFA elects a new leader on Feb. 26. But CONCACAF’s former President Jeffrey Webb, who was arrested in May, "has had his contract terminated and is not receiving any cash from the body." A UEFA spokesperson said, "UEFA can confirm that Michel Platini is still receiving a salary from UEFA, and will continue to do so until further notice." Blatter’s salary has remained a secret and UEFA "declined to comment on how much Platini received" (REUTERS, 1/19).
JULIUS BAER DISMISSAL: REUTERS' Franklin & Hosenball reported a source familiar with the matter said that Swiss bank Julius Baer has "dismissed one of its client advisers as part of its internal investigation" into ties with FIFA. The source said that the employee "left the company" shortly after several football officials were arrested in Zurich last May, and this was "the only member of the bank's staff to be dismissed so far in connection with its FIFA probe." Law enforcement sources familiar with FIFA investigations told Reuters last year that one Julius Baer banker "was under investigation, principally by U.S. authorities, for possible illegal activity." The person under investigation was said by the sources to be "the main if not sole handler at Baer of the bank's relationship with FIFA" (REUTERS, 1/19).
40-TEAM WORLD CUP: REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino suggested expanding the World Cup to 40 teams and following the example of the European championship by spreading it across several countries to share out the "honour and benefits" of the tournament. The Swiss, UEFA general secretary, backed proposed reforms for football's scandal-plagued world governing body which "included term limits for the president and leading officials and public disclosure of their remuneration." Laying out his plans for the Feb. 26 election, he also proposed that FIFA "should aim to distribute half of its revenues directly to its 209 member associations to be spent on the development of the sport" (REUTERS, 1/19). WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER's Mark Bisson wrote FIFA's World Football Museum opening next month "will not feature any major exhibits" featuring Blatter. Museum spokesperson Marc Caprez said, "The museum is not a FIFA shrine or Sepp Blatter memorial at all. It's all about the development of football and the role that FIFA played in developing world football. The museum is not about people, it's all about football and the development of football." FIFA has invested 140M Swiss francs ($139M) "in developing the museum" (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 1/19).
