‘8 years for what?’ asks Blatter who vows to fight ’till the end’

Sepp Blatter  has vowed to challenge the sanction imposed on him by the ethics committee of FIFA.

Together with Michel Platini, Blatter was banned from all football activities for eight years.

The duo were indicted over “conflict of interest, false accounting and non co-operation, with investigators”, into the $1.9 million “disloyal payment” in 2011.

But addressing the media shortly after the pronouncement was made, the 79 year-old seen with a huge plaster on his right chin, expressed surprise over the verdict and promised not to give up in the quest to clear his name.

Describing himself as “a punching ball”, Blatter said he was being targetted by some undisclosed powers.

“Inside FIFA, people could not understand why the president was suspended,” he said.

“I am sorry. I am sorry that I am still somewhere a punching ball. I am sorry that as president of Fifa I am a punching ball. I am sorry for football. I am sorry for the 400+ FIFA members.

“I’m sorry. I am sorry about how I am treated in this world of humanitarian qualities. You can identify me as an optimist. We thought we had convinced the panel about the situation, the payment between the FIFA president and Michel Platini of an ongoing contract that was never terminated.

‘’We thought we were in the clear. We are in a so-called gentleman’s agreement. This was made in 98 just after the World Cup when Playini approached me and said he would like to work for FIFA.

“He said ‘I am a very expensive man’ . I said ‘that’s Ok’, we cannot pay you now, we will pay you later.

“What astonished me is that they [FIFA ethics committee] deny the existence of this agreement. He’s not happy. In the FIFA books you can have written or verbal agreements.

‘’I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA. I am suspended for eight years for what?”

Blatter added that he will appeal the ban at the court of arbitration for sports, saying if it does not work, he would head to the civil court of Switzerland.

“I will use the sporting justice to go forwards. We go once again to the sport committee and to the Swiss courts. I’m a Swiss citizen,” he said.

“In the Swiss law if you are suspended for eight years you must have committed something very, very important.”

“I have to fight to put the right on the place [FIFA]. I regret that I am the punching ball for this organisation that I have served, with all my heart, for 41 years.”

“I am ashamed that the committee goes against the evidence that is presented.”

Asked whether they were “victims of a US led witch-hunt” on FIFA after Qatar was awarded the 2022 World cup rights, he said:  “I don’t think that the ethics committee has some links with the United States. They are not good in communication. It is inside FIFA. I cannot exactly identify whether they did not want Platini to be the president. I don’t know.”