Blatter, Platini banned for 8 years by FIFA ethics committee

News of the sanctions against the duo was confirmed by world football's governing body, via AFP: Here's the full statement from FIFA on the decision to ban Blatter, per BBC Sport's Dan Roan: Blatter, the FIFA president, and Platini, the UEFA president, were being investigated over a "disloyal payment" of £1.3 million made by the former to the latter in 2011. German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert conducted hearings for the twosome last week over charges of conflict of interest, false accounting and non-cooperation, according to Bleacher Report .

The pair have both denied wrongdoing in respect of the payment, insisting it was made in line with work done between 1998 and 2002, when Platini was acting as a technical adviser to Blatter. They have each been serving 90-day suspensions in accordance with the investigation. Rob Harris of the Press Association provided us with further colour on why they have been hit with their respective sanctions, which come into effect immediately: A verdict of corruption would have carried a lifetime ban for the duo. The sanction effectively ends Blatter's involvement in world football's governing body, having held the presidential post since 1998. Blatter has confirmed he will appeal the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, per Sky News' Paul Kelso. He will speak to the press later on on Monday; he was greeted by a media scrum as he arrived for it, per Roan: Platini's hopes of becoming the organisation's president seem to have been dashed by this verdict too. The former France international will not be permitted to run for the top job, which is to be vacated by Blatter prior to February's presidential election.