Fifas annus horribilis

 December 17 2014:
The Fifa executive committee unanimously
agrees to publish a legally appropriate
version of a report by independent ethics
investigator Michael J Garcia into
allegations of World Cup bidding
corruption. They insist Russia and Qatar
will stay as hosts of the 2018 and
2022 tournaments, respectively
DEC 2014

June 22:
Michel Platini denies that his
voting for Qatar to host the 2022
World Cup had anything to do
with his son Laurent being
employed by Qatar Sports
Investments, an arm of the
Qatari government and owners of
Paris Saint-Germain football club

JAN 2015

June 2:
Blatter
announces his
resignation as
president

JUL
 September 18:
Fifa secretary-general Jerome
Valcke, Blatters right-hand
man, is put on leave and
released from his duties until
further notice pending an
investigation into allegations
that he was involved in a
scheme to sell World Cup
tickets above their face value
AUG

December 27:
Blatter gives up his
International Olympic
Committee seat

 December 19:
Garcia resigns, saying that an
erroneous version of his
investigation was published. He
further cites a lack of leadership
at the top of Fifa. He further says he
lost condence in the independence
of ethics committee colleague
German Judge Joachim Eckert

JUN

FEB

May 29:
Despite the controversy, Fifa goes
ahead with presidential elections.
The 79-year-old Sepp Blatter
secures a fth term, defeating
Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein
by 133 votes to 73. The Guardian
rightfully predicts this could yet
prove a Pyrrhic victory.
MAY

 September 26:
Allegations emerge that Platini
received a $2 million payment
from Fifa in 2011 for work done
between 1999 and 2002. Blatter
says payment made nine years
later was per a gentlemens
agreement. Platini claimed he
had to wait, as Fifa could not
afford the full amount
SEP

MAR

OCT

December 24:
Blatter says the only
ght left for him now
is to clear his name

May 27 2015:
Fifa is plunged into
unprecedented crisis on the
eve of its congress as Swiss
authorities arrest seven
ofcials on corruption charges
and open criminal proceedings
over the awarding of the 2018
and 2022 World Cups
APR

 October 8:
Blatter and
Platini are
banned for 90
days by the
Fifa ethics
committee
over the
payment

 October 16:
Der Spiegel reveals that the
decision to award the 2006 World
Cup to Germany was probably
bought in the form of bribes.
Further revelations are that the
German bidding committee set
up a slush fund that was lled
secretly by the then Adidas CEO,
the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus
NOV

December 21:
Blatter and Platini are
given eight-year bans
each over the disloyal
payment. They both
vow to ght it

DEC

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