It has finally happened. Sepp Blatter is no longer the president of FIFA, a position he has held since 1998 and through five successive elections. Nothing, it seemed, could shake his grip on the presidency of football's highest administrative body, neither the array of corruption scandals nor the many outrageous, often sexist statements he made. Even after resigning as president in June 2015, Blatter still stayed on, amidst rumours that he was considering standing for re-election at the next FIFA Congress in 2016.
Unfortunately for him, things unravelled from the day Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against him in September 2015. FIFA could not remain a mute bystander and the Ethics Committee of FIFA moved to suspend Blatter and three other high-ranking officials, banning them from all football-related activities for a period of 90 days, in an announcement on October 8.
A timeline of Blatter’s chequered career.
1975
Sepp Blatter joins FIFA as a technical director.
1981
Blatter appointed general secretary of the organisation and continues in that position till he assumes the presidency in 1998.
1998
In a closely-fought election with Swedish rival Lennart Johannson, Blatter wins the election for presidency, receiving 111 votes to his rival’s 80. The next year, British author David Yallop releases a book called How They Stole The Game, in which he alleges that the election was rigged and some individuals in the electorate received a bribe for voting for Blatter.
2002
The first of many storms in Blatter’s blinkered presidency. Then FIFA general-secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen, in a leaked report, accuses the president of financial mismanagement and claims that FIFA had lost £340 million due to him. Then vice-president of the African Football Federation Farah Addo claims he was offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter at the 1998 election. These allegations have little effect as Blatter wins a second term.
2005
FIFA signs a television rights deal with Jack Warner, then president of the Caribbean Football Union. This would eventually come back to haunt both Jack Warner and Sepp Blatter – Warner was suspended from FIFA in 2011 on various charges of financial misappropriation (the 2005 deal being one of them) and found himself under criminal investigation from Swiss prosecutors in 2015 alongside Blatter.
2007
Despite the many scandals, Blatter stands and wins a third term as FIFA President unopposed. The victory is put down to Blatter’s massive bloc of support, mostly from countries that have benefitted from FIFA’s developmental programs in their respective countries.
2010
The bidding process to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively opens a whole new can of worms. Question regarding both the countries’ human rights records as well as Qatar's searing heat surface. In regards to homosexuality being illegal in Qatar, Blatter comments that “they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities”.
2011
Another presidential election, another unopposed victory for Blatter. But this time, it comes on the back of another corruption scandal – Blatter’s main rival Mohammad bin Hammam drops out just before the election after allegations that he offered financial incentives to officials of Caribbean football federations for their votes.
May 27-29, 2015
The beginning of the end. On the eve of a FIFA Congress, Swiss plainclothes policemen walk into the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich and arrest seven top FIFA officials on major corruption charges levied by the United States Department of Justice. Blatter is not arrested and despite calls to quit, wins a fifth presidential term, defeating his opponent comprehensively.
June 2, 2015
In a startling announcement, Blatter announces his resignation as FIFA President, saying that he did not feel that he had a mandate from the “entire world of football”. However that did not mean his immediate relinquishing of all duties – Blatter called for an extraordinary Congress to elect the next President which would require an advance notice of four months, effectively ensuring he stayed FIFA President for the next few months.
September 25, 2015
Criminal proceedings are opened against Blatter by Swiss prosecutors over the contract he signed with Warner in 2005. Blatter is accused of “criminal mismanagement and misappropriation”.
October 2, 2015
Four of FIFA’s top sponsors – VISA, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Anheuser-Busch InBev – criticise FIFA in separate attacks and call for Blatter to step down immediately.
October 8, 2015
FIFA provisionally suspends its president Blatter, secretary general Jerome Valcke and vice-president Michael Platini for 90 days, accusing Blatter of signing a contract “unfavourable” to FIFA and making a disloyal payment to Platini. The Frenchman dismisses the “deliberate leak” as “insidious” and called it an attempt to “damage” his reputation. The International Olympic Committee react strongly to the development, say “Enough is enough.”
Unfortunately for him, things unravelled from the day Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against him in September 2015. FIFA could not remain a mute bystander and the Ethics Committee of FIFA moved to suspend Blatter and three other high-ranking officials, banning them from all football-related activities for a period of 90 days, in an announcement on October 8.
A timeline of Blatter’s chequered career.
1975
Sepp Blatter joins FIFA as a technical director.
1981
Blatter appointed general secretary of the organisation and continues in that position till he assumes the presidency in 1998.
1998
In a closely-fought election with Swedish rival Lennart Johannson, Blatter wins the election for presidency, receiving 111 votes to his rival’s 80. The next year, British author David Yallop releases a book called How They Stole The Game, in which he alleges that the election was rigged and some individuals in the electorate received a bribe for voting for Blatter.
2002
The first of many storms in Blatter’s blinkered presidency. Then FIFA general-secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen, in a leaked report, accuses the president of financial mismanagement and claims that FIFA had lost £340 million due to him. Then vice-president of the African Football Federation Farah Addo claims he was offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter at the 1998 election. These allegations have little effect as Blatter wins a second term.
2005
FIFA signs a television rights deal with Jack Warner, then president of the Caribbean Football Union. This would eventually come back to haunt both Jack Warner and Sepp Blatter – Warner was suspended from FIFA in 2011 on various charges of financial misappropriation (the 2005 deal being one of them) and found himself under criminal investigation from Swiss prosecutors in 2015 alongside Blatter.
2007
Despite the many scandals, Blatter stands and wins a third term as FIFA President unopposed. The victory is put down to Blatter’s massive bloc of support, mostly from countries that have benefitted from FIFA’s developmental programs in their respective countries.
2010
The bidding process to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively opens a whole new can of worms. Question regarding both the countries’ human rights records as well as Qatar's searing heat surface. In regards to homosexuality being illegal in Qatar, Blatter comments that “they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities”.
2011
Another presidential election, another unopposed victory for Blatter. But this time, it comes on the back of another corruption scandal – Blatter’s main rival Mohammad bin Hammam drops out just before the election after allegations that he offered financial incentives to officials of Caribbean football federations for their votes.
May 27-29, 2015
The beginning of the end. On the eve of a FIFA Congress, Swiss plainclothes policemen walk into the five-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich and arrest seven top FIFA officials on major corruption charges levied by the United States Department of Justice. Blatter is not arrested and despite calls to quit, wins a fifth presidential term, defeating his opponent comprehensively.
June 2, 2015
In a startling announcement, Blatter announces his resignation as FIFA President, saying that he did not feel that he had a mandate from the “entire world of football”. However that did not mean his immediate relinquishing of all duties – Blatter called for an extraordinary Congress to elect the next President which would require an advance notice of four months, effectively ensuring he stayed FIFA President for the next few months.
September 25, 2015
Criminal proceedings are opened against Blatter by Swiss prosecutors over the contract he signed with Warner in 2005. Blatter is accused of “criminal mismanagement and misappropriation”.
October 2, 2015
Four of FIFA’s top sponsors – VISA, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Anheuser-Busch InBev – criticise FIFA in separate attacks and call for Blatter to step down immediately.
October 8, 2015
FIFA provisionally suspends its president Blatter, secretary general Jerome Valcke and vice-president Michael Platini for 90 days, accusing Blatter of signing a contract “unfavourable” to FIFA and making a disloyal payment to Platini. The Frenchman dismisses the “deliberate leak” as “insidious” and called it an attempt to “damage” his reputation. The International Olympic Committee react strongly to the development, say “Enough is enough.”
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