FIFA hands new ban and CHF1 million fine to Valcke and Blatter

Valcke (left) with Blatter (centre) with Haiti's Football Federation President Yves "Dadou" Jean-Bart in 2013. Keystone / Dieu Nalio Chery

The independent ethics committee of world football’s governing body FIFA has suspended former bigwigs Sepp Blatter and Jérôme Valcke for almost seven years from the game and fined them CHF1 million ($1.07 million) each. 

Zurich-based FIFA communicated the decision on Monday after finding its former president Blatter and former secretary general Valcke guilty of violating internal rules on “duty of loyalty”, “conflicts of interest”, and “offering and accepting gifts or other benefits”.  

“Consequently, Messrs Blatter and Valcke have both been sanctioned with bans from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for a period of six years and eight months. In addition, fines to the amount of CHF1,000,000 have been imposed on both Messrs Blatter and Valcke,” said the FIFA statement.  

Both men are already serving bans imposed in 2015 and 2016 respectively by the independent ethics committees. As a result, this latest ban of six years and eight months will become effective only from October 2021 for Blatter and October 2025 for Valcke, further prolonging their banishment from the game.