Two hundred and seven days have passed since May 29, when he secured his fourth re-election as president of FIFA, the day Joseph Blatter believed his power was eternal and unlimited. In just over half a year, the world of football sank into an abyss of corruption and the institutional earthquake ended up devouring its maximum leader. The eight-year ban from engaging in any football-related activity, which reaches him at the age of 79, seems impossible to overcome, and forces those in charge of the battered entity to question how to move forward amidst such turmoil: an era of discretion ended yesterday in Zurich.
Although just over six months have passed, that smiling character who emerged victorious in the presidential election after ignoring repeated calls to have mercy on football and abandon the contest is far behind. His sense of impunity defied imagination.
How far from this neglected and aged image with which the former Swiss army colonel announced, already sanctioned, his intention to fight a battle that seems lost before it even begins: "I am the outgoing president, not the one you will choose. I should not be suspended with these things. I can't do my job like this." He gave explanations in English, French, German and even Spanish, but perhaps he will not be able to explain to himself how his immense power was diluted so quickly. So inexorably.
The truth always comes to light. I think the eight years is punishment enough for Blatter and Platini, because it means they can never return (Lennart Johansson, former president of UEFA)
At the origin of it all is the decision of the Executive Committee to grant the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, which Blatter did not share, because he expected the election to fall on the United States. The FBI, which was investigating tax evasion by former FIFA vice president Chuck Blazer, ended up widening its investigation with the known results: since those raids on the morning of May 27, 39 leaders, former members, and former collaborators of FIFA have been arrested or charged by the American justice system, which characterized the criminal behavior as the "World Cup of corruption".
The situation entered a course of disaster that Blatter could not straighten out. Surrounded by criticism, on June 2 he announced the convening of an extraordinary congress to elect a new president, although he took great care not to use words like "resignation" or "resign". Four months later, on October 7, already disgraced before the powerful sponsors of FIFA, he was joined by Platini in a 90-day suspension that presaged a bitter end.
An administrative detail, in the end, was his downfall. FIFA investigators used special software for financial control bodies to detect the payment of two million Swiss francs that Blatter made to Platini in 2011, which resulted in the final sanction that also reached the UEFA president. They found them guilty of "abuse of position", "conflict of interest" and "mismanagement", and did not consider the argument about the existence of an oral contract justifying the payment.
Everything indicates that they may never be able to return. "This is not over yet, I will be back" promised Blatter, but if he does not turn to the FIFA Appeal Committee before going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, his claim will have no validity. In any case, any process will take much longer than the 67 days remaining until the congress that will decide the future president of FIFA, which Blatter is unlikely to be able to preside over. The same goes for Platini and his pretension to become the universal leader of football.
jt