.jpg)
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini given eight year bans from football
 |
The two most powerful men in football have been banned from the sport for eight years.
The current FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini are both facing eight years out of the game after breaching rules over a payment made by Baltter to Platini.
The £1.3m ($2m) in question that was paid to Platini in 2011 was deemed a "disloyal payment" .
The Fifa ethics committee found Blatter and Platini had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions.
"I will fight for me and for Fifa," Blatter, 79 said at a press conference, which he ended by stating that he 'would be back'.
Blatter had already announced he will be stepping down as FIFA President in February despite being elected for a fifth term. The widespread corruption surrounding FIFA and the number of officials under criminal investigation has left Blatter's position somewhat untennable.
Platini was long seen as Blatter's successor but with the emphasis on a new FIFA free of the stench of corruption, Platini's conviction definitely rule him out of next year's election, and probably end any hope of ever being FIFA's top man.
Both men continue to deny wrongdoing and intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).