2015
May 27: Seven FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, are arrested in a police raid on a Zurich hotel on the eve of a FIFA congress. Those arrested are among 14 wanted by US prosecutors over $150 million (136 million euros) bribery allegations, including buying and selling votes for South Africa to be awarded the 2010 World Cup.
May 29: Sepp Blatter is re-elected for a fifth term as president of world football’s governing body, the 79-year-old beating Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who conceded after picking up just 73 votes to Blatter’s 133 in the first round of voting.
June 2: Blatter sensationally announces his resignation just days after the election, saying he will organise a new election to choose his successor. “I don’t feel I have a mandate from the entire world of football,” he says.
Sept 17: FIFA suspends secretary general Jerome Valcke over claims he sold World Cup tickets at inflated prices.
Sept 25: Switzerland starts criminal proceedings against Blatter on suspicion he misappropriated funds and violated his duties by making a “disloyal payment” of two million Swiss francs ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) to UEFA boss Michel Platini.
Oct 8: Blatter and Platini are both suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee over the payment, while another presidency candidate, South Korean Chung Mong-Joon, is hit with a six-year ban. Valcke is also suspended for 90 days.
Dec 3: Two “high-ranking” FIFA officials are detained at the same Zurich hotel on suspicion of taking kickbacks for selling football marketing rights in Latin America.
December 11: Platini loses his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his suspension, which is due to end on January 5, 2016.
December 21: Blatter and Platini are both suspended from “all football-related activity” for eight years due to the “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011. Both men say they will appeal against their bans.
2016
January 13: Blatter’s former right-hand man Valcke is sacked from his role as FIFA secretary general after the “ticket touting” allegations. The previous week the ethics committee had recommended a nine-year ban for the Frenchman.
February 24: Presidential candidate Prince Ali, unhappy with proposed voting arrangements, has a bid to have the election delayed rejected by CAS. Later in the day both Platini and Blatter see appeals against their bans rejected by FIFA’s appeals committee, although their bans are reduced from eight years to six. Both say that they will appeal to CAS.
— AFP
