FIFA Ethics Probe 'Requests Sanctions' Against Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini

The FIFA ethics committee probing allegations of corruption against suspended president Sepp Blatter and his would-be successor, Michel Platini, has requested that sanctions be levelled against both men, a statement said on Saturday. (Michel Platini Appeals to CAS Against FIFA Suspension)

"The investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has submitted its final reports containing requests for sanctions against Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini," the FIFA statement said.

The investigatory chamber's report has been sent to the ethics committee's adjudicatory body for judgement.

"For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the chamber will not publish details of the concluded reports and the requested sanctions against the two officials," the statement said.

A separate statement from the adjudicatory chamber confirmed that it had received the reports and will study the findings "carefully."

The judgement body said it would "decide in due course about whether to institute formal adjudicatory proceedings against Joseph S. Blatter and Michel Platini."

Both men were provisionally suspended by the ethics committee in October for 90 days.

The moves came after Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into possible criminal mismanagement at FIFA during Blatter's tenure, including evidence of a murky $2 million payment made to Platini in 2011, reportedly for work he did a decade earlier.

Platini, the French football legend and the head of European football until his suspension, had been the favourite to replace Blatter as FIFA's president until he became engulfed by the worst ever scandal to hit the world's most popular sport.