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Sepp Blatter

Sepp Blatter has filed an official appeal against his suspension from soccer by Fifa’s ethics committee, the New York Times reported.

Blatter, the Swiss who has been president of the global soccer body Fifa since 1998, was suspended on Thursday by the association’s ethics committee. The 79-year-old is currently facing a Swiss criminal investigation.

The New York Times said it had obtained a copy of Blatter’s appeal against the suspension.

In it, the paper reported that Blatter objected to brusque and unfair treatment. Blatter’s legal team also demanded to see the ethics committee’s case file and sought a hearing to argue their case in full.

Blatter’s lawyers in Switzerland and the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

In the immediate aftermath of the suspension, Blatter’s lawyers said in a statement that he was looking forward to presenting evidence that will prove he did not engage in any misconduct.

The Swiss Attorney General said on September 25 it had opened a criminal investigation into Blatter concerning a payment of 2 million Swiss francs from Fifa to Michel Platini in 2011 and a Caribbean television rights deal.

Blatter told a German magazine this week that the Swiss criminal investigation against him was “not correct”.

Meanwhile, Fifa presidential contender Chung Mong-Joon said yesterday he would sue the world football body’s ethics committee for defamation over a six-year ban and make a formal appeal to the international sport tribunal.

The South Korean tycoon said in a statement he would take action against Fifa’s independent ethics committee “for damaging my reputation” in its handling of his case.

The watchdog suspended Fifa head Sepp Blatter, secretary-general Jerome Valcke and Uefa president Michel Platini for 90 days on Thursday.
Chung, a candidate for the Fifa presidency to be decided in February along with Platini and Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan, was banned for six years.

“This is a most blatant miscarriage of justice,” Chung said, accusing the watchdog of making “vague” accusations under Fifa’s code of ethics.

The billionaire former Fifa vice president said he would mobilise “all legal means available” including a formal request next week to the Lausanne based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“The Ethics Committee will also be the subject of my legal actions for damaging my reputation,” he said.

He said he would also press ahead with legal action against Blatter for “embezzlement”.

The six year ban automatically rules Chung out of the Fifa race. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($100,000).

The scion of the Hyundai family was found to have contravened rules while lobbying for South Korea’s bid for the 2022 World Cup, which was awarded to Qatar in 2010.

“It is a shameful attempt to punish me for my open criticisms of Fifa,” Chung said, describing the watchdog’s investigation as “a political ploy” aimed at sabotaging his candidacy. — Reuters-AFP