Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini handed eight years bans from football

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini have been banned from football for 8 years.

Blatter, 79, and Platini, 60, were found guilty of breaching FIFA's ethics code over a £1.3m payment made to the former France star in 2011.

The duo denied wrongdoing and claimed they had a verbal agreement over the money following Platini's work as Blatter's technical adviser between 1998 and 2002.

In a statement, FIFA said: "The proceedings against Mr Blatter primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 (£1.34m) transferred in February 2011 from FIFA to Mr Platini.

"Mr Blatter, in his position as President of FIFA, authorised the payment to Mr Platini which had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999.

"Neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment. His assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber."

Blatter has also been fined £33,700 while Platini has to cough up £54,000.
The decision is effective immediately following an ethics investigation but both men are expected to appeal.

Blatter is due to address a press conference at 10am.