SHARE
COPY LINK
FIFA SCANDAL

FOOTBALL

Blatter will testify at Platini’s Lausanne appeal

Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter will testify during Michel Platini's appeal against his ban from football, following a request from world football's governing body, a source close to the case told AFP on Tuesday.

Blatter will testify at Platini's Lausanne appeal
Blatter and Platini were both suspended from football. Photo: Michael Buholzer/AFP
Platini, the suspended head of European football confederation Uefa, will challenge his six-year ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday.
   
“Blatter will testify on Friday, at the request of Fifa”, said a source who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly, but confirmed the information first reported by L'Equipe newspaper.
   
In December, Fifa's ethics judges found Platini guilty of ethics violations, conflict of interest and other offences in connection with a two million Swiss franc ($2 million, 1.8 million euro) payment he received from Blatter in 2011.
   
Both men claim the payment was part of a legitimate oral contract for consulting work that Platini did between 1999 and 2002, but Fifa's in-house court found that explanation unconvincing.
   
The pair were first suspended for eight years in December, but a Fifa appeals panel reduced the bans to six years in February, citing mitigating circumstances.
   
Uefa has said it will not replace Platini until all his appeals are exhausted, while CAS has indicated it would rule on the Frenchman's case before the June 10th start of the Euro 2016 tournament, which is being hosted by France.
   
If Platini's appeal is successful, he could reclaim his Uefa post in time to preside over the tournament.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

SHOW COMMENTS