Blatter 'relieved of all duties' by FIFA

After being banned from football for 90 days, Sepp
Blatter has been relieved of his duties as FIFA
president.

Sepp Blatter has been relieved of his duties as FIFA president
after he was banned from all footballing activity for 90 days and
replaced by CAF head Issa Hayatou.

FIFA announced on Thursday that Blatter, alongside presidential
candidate Michel Platini and general secretary Jerome Valcke,
had been suspended for 90 days, following approval by the
governing body's adjudicatory chamber of a recommendation
made the organisation's ethics committee.

Those sanctions can be extended by up to 45 days, which would
effectively end Blatter's reign over world football - with the FIFA
congress where a replacement will be chosen scheduled for
February 26 next year.

The investigation into Blatter's conduct relates to allegations
that he signed an "unfavourable" contract with the Caribbean
Football Union (CFU) in 2005, one that market experts claim
handed over World Cup television rights for a fraction of their
market value.

He is also accused of making a "disloyal payment" in 2011 to
UEFA chief Platini, whose bid to replace Blatter as FIFA
president appears all but over.

A FIFA statement read: "Today, in accordance with FIFA's Code
of Ethics, Joseph S. Blatter was relieved of all his duties as FIFA
President following the decision of the Independent Chairman of
the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee to
provisionally ban him from all football activities on a national
and international level.

"Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not
allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the
organisation's behalf, or communicate to media or other
stakeholders as a FIFA representative.

"As mandated by article 32 (6) of the FIFA Statutes, Issa
Hayatou, as the longest-serving vice-president on FIFA's
Executive Committee, will serve as Acting President of FIFA."

Hayatou was elected president of the Confederation of African
Football in 1988, and previously ran for the FIFA presidency in
2002 – which ended in a crushing defeat to Blatter.

The Cameroonian was accused in 2011 of accepting bribes in
relation to the 2022 World Cup hosting rights, but was cleared
following a FIFA investigation.