Blatter says will accept CAS verdict over appeal
Print Edition
FORMER FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrived for his appeal hearing against a six-year ban from football yesterday, pledging to accept the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport
“I do hope it will be positive for me,” Blatter, sporting a light gray beard, told reporters at around 8am ahead of a closed-door hearing expected to last several hours.
The court’s verdict is expected within several weeks, and could be challenged in a further appeal to Switzerland’s supreme court.
The 80-year-old Blatter denies wrongdoing in authorizing a US$2 million payment to former FIFA vice president Michel Platini in 2011. They claimed it was for backdated and uncontracted salary for work Platini did in advising Blatter from 1999 to 2002.
The so-called “disloyal payment” led Blatter to be put under investigation for criminal mismanagement by Swiss federal prosecutors last September. That investigation is ongoing.
FIFA’s ethics committee judged the US$2 million deal was a conflict of interest and initially banned Blatter and Platini for eight years last December. FIFA’s appeal committee cut both bans to six years.
Platini’s appeal to CAS was already judged in May, when Blatter appeared in person as a witness. Platini promised a further appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal after his ban was only cut from six to four years.
Platini arrived at the hearing around midday local time to be a witness. Both men have denied any wrongdoing. “I came here to repeat and say again the truth,” he said.
The judging panel in his case noted “the absence of any repentance” from the former France great.
The three-member panel for Blatter’s case is expected to respect the verdict of a separate panel which judged Platini.
A failure to overturn the ban for Blatter would likely end his hope to one day be named FIFA honorary president by its 211 member federations.
The case already ended Platini’s chance to replace Blatter as FIFA president, and also forced him out of European governing body UEFA.
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