(English) FIFA chief Blatter and Platini given provisional bans

Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, and his possible successor, UEFA chief Michel Platini, have been provisionally suspended for 90 days by the global football body’s ethics committee.

The committee also handed out a 90-day suspension to Jerome Valcke, FIFA secretary general, who had already been put on leave by the football body.

Chung Mong-joon, former FIFA vice president, got a ban for six years and a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs ($103,000).

“The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee,” FIFA’s ethics committee said in a statement on Thursday.

Swiss prosecutors last month opened a criminal investigation into Blatter over a Caribbean World Cup TV rights contract he signed, and a 2011 payment of two million francs to Platini.

Platini’s status has been described by the Swiss attorney general as being between a witness and an accused person.

“The duration of the bans may be extended for an additional period not exceeding 45 days,” the statement added.

“During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately.”