<p>Fifa’s ethics watchdog on Thursday suspended Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for 90 days in a sensational new blow to the football’s governing body.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke, already asked to leave the world body over a ticketing scandal, was also suspended for the same period.<br /><br />Although sources in the Fifa said the bans were “provisional”, the move certainly signalled the end of Fifa president Blatter and dealt a big blow to UEFA chief Platini’s hopes to take over. Besides the three, the ethics committee also banned Chung Mong-Joon, a South Korean tycoon and a candidate for the Fifa’s top post, for six years. The scion of the Hyundai family was also fined 1,00,000 Swiss Francs.<br /><br />The four top officials have been banned from all football activities, said a statement, adding the bans come into force with immediate effect.<br /><br />Fifa said Issa Hayatou of Cameroon will be the acting president. Hayatou is head of the Confederation of African Football and Fifa’s most senior vice president.<br /><br />The suspensions can be renewed for another 45 days when they end in January. It would thus take the exclusion till just before the Fifa election on February 26.<br /><br />Blatter and Platini were under immense pressure since Swiss prosecutors began a probe into the veteran Fifa president for criminal mismanagement. Platini was also named in the investigation because of a $2 million payment he received in 2011.<br /> <br />Earlier, he had demanded a probe into the circumstances of the investigation against him.<br /><br />Chung, on the other hand, was found to have contravened rules while lobbying for South Korea’s bid for the 2022 edition of the Fifa World Cup which was awarded to Qatar.<br />Chung, however, has threatened to take legal action against the ban decision.<br /><br />Fifa’s crisis has been mounting since May when the US authorities issued charges against 14 of its officials and sports marketing executives over bribes worth over $150 million given for broadcasting and marketing contracts. <br /><br />Seven officials were detained at a Zurich hotel just two days ahead of Blatter’s re-election for a fifth term on May 30.<br /><br />Both Platini and Chung suspect they are victims of a campaign originating from within the Fifa to make bids to become its president unsuccessful.<br /></p>
<p>Fifa’s ethics watchdog on Thursday suspended Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for 90 days in a sensational new blow to the football’s governing body.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke, already asked to leave the world body over a ticketing scandal, was also suspended for the same period.<br /><br />Although sources in the Fifa said the bans were “provisional”, the move certainly signalled the end of Fifa president Blatter and dealt a big blow to UEFA chief Platini’s hopes to take over. Besides the three, the ethics committee also banned Chung Mong-Joon, a South Korean tycoon and a candidate for the Fifa’s top post, for six years. The scion of the Hyundai family was also fined 1,00,000 Swiss Francs.<br /><br />The four top officials have been banned from all football activities, said a statement, adding the bans come into force with immediate effect.<br /><br />Fifa said Issa Hayatou of Cameroon will be the acting president. Hayatou is head of the Confederation of African Football and Fifa’s most senior vice president.<br /><br />The suspensions can be renewed for another 45 days when they end in January. It would thus take the exclusion till just before the Fifa election on February 26.<br /><br />Blatter and Platini were under immense pressure since Swiss prosecutors began a probe into the veteran Fifa president for criminal mismanagement. Platini was also named in the investigation because of a $2 million payment he received in 2011.<br /> <br />Earlier, he had demanded a probe into the circumstances of the investigation against him.<br /><br />Chung, on the other hand, was found to have contravened rules while lobbying for South Korea’s bid for the 2022 edition of the Fifa World Cup which was awarded to Qatar.<br />Chung, however, has threatened to take legal action against the ban decision.<br /><br />Fifa’s crisis has been mounting since May when the US authorities issued charges against 14 of its officials and sports marketing executives over bribes worth over $150 million given for broadcasting and marketing contracts. <br /><br />Seven officials were detained at a Zurich hotel just two days ahead of Blatter’s re-election for a fifth term on May 30.<br /><br />Both Platini and Chung suspect they are victims of a campaign originating from within the Fifa to make bids to become its president unsuccessful.<br /></p>