Away from the field, FIFA Ethics investigators said they are planning to appeal the decision by the Ethics Committee that handed the president of world football's governing, Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini eight-year bans from the sport, which raises the possibility of lifelong exclusion.
Blatter and Platini were both banned last month for ethics violations, leaving the global game leaderless as it seeks to dig itself out from beneath a slew of corruption cases. Both deny wrongdoing and escaped potential lifetime bans demanded by the committee's investigatory arm when no evidence was found of bribery linked to a two-million-dollar payment FIFA made to Platini in 2011, with Blatter's approval. The Swiss said he feels abandoned by the organization and will now focus on clearing his name through his own appeal.
Platini, who was the frontrunner to take over as president of FIFA until becoming mired in allegations, has also said he will appeal. Meanwhile, Guatemalan police arrested fugitive former national football federation president Brayan Jimenez in connection with a FIFA corruption probe. Jimenez has been accused of taking bribes and his appearance was dramatically different than the last time he was seen by the media at a news conference in December, when he had black hair and a shaven face. On Tuesday, he had white hair, mustache and beard.
