Sepp Blatter - The African Mirror

Oct

2023

Ex-FIFA boss Blatter slams decision for World Cup in six countries, SonntagsBlick reports

FORMER FIFA President Sepp Blatter has criticised the decision by world soccer's governing body to hold the World Cup in six countries across three continents. Morocco, Spain and Portugal were named hosts of the 2030 tournament, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will also host the opening matches to mark the tournament's centenary, FIFA said in a surprise announcement on Wednesday. The decision was criticised by Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA President from 1998 to 2015, before being forced out after a corruption investigation. "It is absurd to tear the tournament apart in this way," Blatter told Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick. "The World…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

‘Qatar is a mistake,’ says former FIFA President Sepp Blatter

SPORT

SEPP Blatter, the former president of FIFA when Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup hosting rights in 2010, told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger "Qatar is a mistake," adding that "the choice was bad." The Qatar decision has been marred by controversy, including allegations of corruption and human rights violations since it was first announced. Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, has also been embroiled in accusations of corruption during his tenure. He was cleared of fraud by a Swiss court in June. The prosecutors have appealed the ruling. "It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Ex-Fifa Boss Blatter, Platini cleared of fraud

NEWS

FORMER FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France footballing legend Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court after a seven-year investigation during which they were booted out of the sport. A judge said the pair's account of a 'gentlemen's agreement' for FIFA to pay Platini 2 million Swiss francs ($2.05 million) for consulting work was credible, and serious doubts existed about the prosecution's allegation it was a fraudulent payment. As a result Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, was cleared of fraud by the Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona. Platini, a…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

FIFA loses court bid to revive probe of Blatter over media rights deal

WORLD

A Swiss court has rejected world soccer body FIFA's bid to revive a criminal probe against its former president, Sepp Blatter, over a 2005 deal with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to sell World Cup broadcasting rights. The Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) last year dropped the investigation, one of two it was conducting against the 85-year-old Blatter, who was banned from the sport for years for ethics violations. FIFA sought to reverse the OAG's decision, but the Federal Criminal Court rejected its request in a verdict that said the OAG had acted properly. Blatter, who led FIFA…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Ex-FIFA president Blatter handed new ban

WORLD

SIMON EVANS FORMER FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been handed a further six years and eight months ban from the game and fined a million Swiss francs ($1.07 million) by the body's Ethics Committee after a probe into massive bonus payments. Blatter's current ban from the game was due to expire in October but the latest ban, for ethics code violations, will take effect from that point. The latest investigation looked into World Cup bonus payments made to Blatter and a number of former top FIFA officials including former general secretary Jerome Valcke, former vice-president Julio Grondona and ex-finance director…