Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former secretary general Jerome Valcke had their bans extended by six years this Wednesday after the pair were found guilty of financial wrongdoing.
The 85-year-old's initial ban was due to expire in seven months and he has recently been ill with a week-long medically induced coma required after heart surgery last December.
Adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee sanctions Mr Joseph S. Blatter and Mr Jérôme Valcke: https://t.co/riqpjyPzqS
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) March 24, 2021
FIFA's ethics committee has banned Blatter and Valcke for six years and eight months for financial wrongdoing relating to contractual bonuses worth millions of dollars that the pair rewarded themselves with.
"The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr Joseph S. Blatter, former FIFA President, and Mr Jerome Valcke, former FIFA Secretary General, guilty of various violations of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE)," read FIFA's statement. The investigations into Messrs Blatter and Valcke covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments in relation to FIFA competitions that were paid to top FIFA management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by FIFA of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke."
The two are already facing criminal charges in Switzerland and their respective bans will come into action once their current ones expire.
While Blatter's was due to expire later this year, Valcke's initial ban was for 10 years as they were separate cases -- the Frenchman's first suspension expires in October of 2025 with the six additional years taking him into 2031.
FIFA have also fined both men just over $1 million which they have been ordered to pay within 30 days despite the global footballing body's power to enforce payment being somewhat unclear.
Last year, former financial chief Markus Kattner was banned for 10 years due to FIFA's allegations of self-dealing in bonus payments.
