Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been hit with new ban from football, the governing body has announced.
Blatter will serve a ban of six years and eight months when his current ban ends this October.
The suspension has been imposed for multiple breaches of FIFA's ethics code and the same length of suspension has also been imposed on the organisation’s former secretary general Jerome Valcke.
A statement released by FIFA on Wednesday said: "The investigations into Messrs Blatter and Valcke covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments in relation to FIFA competitions that were paid to top FIFA management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by FIFA of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke."
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter (L) and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke (R) react during the 65th FIFA Congress with the president's election at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, 29 May 2015. Photo: Patrick Seeger/dpaIn addition, fines to the amount of CHF 1,000,000 have been imposed on both Messrs Blatter and Valcke.
The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's independent Ethics Committee found Blatter and Valcke guilty of various violations of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
The investigations into the two men covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments in relation to FIFA competitions that were paid to top FIFA management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by FIFA of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke.
The statement adds: As the previous bans from taking part in all football-related activity imposed on Messrs Blatter and Valcke by the independent Ethics Committee in 2015 and 2016 have not yet been purged, the bans notified today will only come into force upon the expiry of the previous bans (i.e. on 8 October 2021 and 8 October 2025, respectively).
