FIFA confirms investigations into Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini

FIFA's Ethics Committee has confirmed investigations into FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini are ongoing.

SI Wire | Oct 21, 2015

FIFA confirms investigations into Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini /

FIFA’s investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has confirmed an ongoing investigation into FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini.

The investigation is centered around a $2 million payment Blatter made to Platini in Feb. 2011. Platini has said the payment was part of his salary that FIFA could not afford to pay him at the time. Blatter called the deal a “gentleman’s agreement,” as no written contract was created.

On Oct. 8, Blatter and Platini were provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days, and both men have filed appeals. The committee looks to conclude its investigation within the 90 day period.

• FIFA will not change Feb. 26 election date

The investigatory chamber also confirmed the ongoing investigation into FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke after allegations that he also misused FIFA expenses and broke other FIFA rules.

Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer and FIFA vice president Angel Maria Villar Llona are two other high ranking officials under investigation by FIFA. Beckenbauer served as a FIFA voter before Russia and Qatar were selected as the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Villar Llona was a vice president on FIFA’s executive committee since 1998. Both failed to cooperate with U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia’s ethics investigation.

FIFA officials Worawi Makudi, Jeffrey Webb, Ricardo Teixeira, Amos Adamu, Eugenio Figueredo and Nicolas Leoz also remain under investigation.

• FIFA compliance head: Blatter to Platini payment a 'conflict of interest'

Read the full statement here.

- Christopher Chavez

GALLERY: Faces of the FIFA scandal

Faces of the FIFA Scandal

Sepp Blatter

Elyxandro Cegarra/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire

FIFA president

Jerome Valcke

FIFA general secretary

Michel Platini

UEFA president; FIFA Vice President; FIFA presidential hopeful

Jack Warner

Ex–CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Jeffrey Webb

Ex–Cayman Islands federation and CONCACAF president; FIFA Vice President

Chuck Blazer

Ex-CONCACAF general secretary; FIFA executive committee

Alfredo Hawit

CONCACAF President; FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Honduras football federation

Juan Angel Napout

CONMEBOL president, FIFA vice president, executive committee; Former president, Paraguay football federation

Jose Luis Meiszner

CONMEBOL general secretary

Marco Polo del Nero

Former FIFA executive committee; President, Brazil football federation

Ricardo Teixeira

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Brazil football federation

Eduardo Li

Ex–Costa Rica federation president; FIFA, CONCACAF executive committees

Eugenio Figueredo

Ex–Uruguay federation and CONMEBOL president; FIFA Vice President

Jose Maria Marin

Ex–Brazil federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Rafael Salguero

Former FIFA executive committee; Former president, Guatemalan football federation

Manuel Burga

FIFA development committee; Former president, Peru football federation

Ariel Alvarado

Former president, Panama football federation; FIFA disciplinary committee

Eduardo Deluca

Former CONMEBOL, Argentina football federation general secretary

Luís Chiriboga

CONMEBOL executive committee; President, Ecuador football federation

Rafael Callejas

FIFA television and marketing committee; Former president, Honduras; Former president, Honduras football federation

Rafael Esquivel

Ex–Venezuela federation president; CONMEBOL executive committee

Carlos Chavez

CONMEBOL treasurer; Former president, Bolivia football federation

Nicolas Leoz

Ex–CONMEBOL president, FIFA executive committee

Julio Rocha

Ex–Nicaragua federation and Central American Football Union president

Romer Osuna

FIFA audit and compliance committee; Former CONMEBOL treasurer.

Alejandro Burzaco

CEO of Torneos y Competencias

Aaron Davidson

President, Traffic Sports USA

Hugo Jinkis

President, Full Play Group

Mariano Jinkis

Vice President, Full Play Group

Loretta Lynch

U.S. Attorney General

Michael Lauber

Switzerland Attorney General

Published Oct 21, 2015

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