Governing Bodies
FORMER FIFA PRESIDENT BLATTER IN COMA AFTER HEART OPERATION
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter spent a week in an induced coma after having heart surgery last month, his daughter has revealed.
Blatter contracted coronavirus in November before undergoing a heart procedure at a hospital in Switzerland in December.
The 84-year-old was moved out of intensive care this week, but Blatter’s daughter said there was “still a long way to go” in his recovery.
“He makes progress every day,” said Corinne Blatter Andenmatten in an interview with Swiss media company CH Media.
“Doctors are happy with his condition but there is still a long way to go.
“It is correct that he tested positive for COVID-19 in November.
“But he survived the virus without any major symptoms.
“But this disease is insidious.
“Maybe my father lost more substance than he wanted to admit.
“Shortly before Christmas he had to go to the hospital for a heart operation.
“He assumed it was a routine operation but then everything got more complicated and dangerous.
“Overall, he was in an artificial coma for over a week and was no longer responsive.
“We were very worried.
“That was the hardest and saddest Christmas time of my life.”
Blatter was President of FIFA for 17 years until 2015 when he resigned amid a corruption scandal which led to United States prosecutors indicting several officials.
Blatter is currently serving a six-year ban from football.
FIFA issued a complaint of “criminal mismanagement” against Blatter last month relating to his involvement in the FIFA Museum project in Zurich.
Those accusations were dismissed as “baseless” by Lorenz Erni, Blatter’s lawyer.
“He doesn’t know anything about the museum lawsuit,” said Blatter Andenmatten.
“And that’s just as well.
“He would just get upset unnecessarily.
“We keep these negative things away from him for as long as possible.”
Blatter Andenmatten also spoke of her anger towards FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“I hope I never meet him again,” she said.
“I would probably lose my temper.
“It cannot be that Infantino takes such a stubborn stance against the man who left a nest for hi
A CHF2 million (£1.66 million/$2.26 million/€1.85 million) payment made by Blatter to former UEFA President Michel Platini in 2011 is still being investigated.
In November, it was reported that Swiss prosecutors had widened proceedings against Blatter and former French international – both of whom have maintained the payment was made as part of an oral agreement for work Platini carried out for Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee dismissed that claim when it banned Blatter from all football-related activities, and its ruling was later upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Blatter Andenmatten suggested the legal cases were having an impact on her father’s health.
“I am not a doctor – and neither am I a psychologist,” said Blatter Andenmatten.
“But if you consider what my father has had to put up with in the last five years, what previous convictions – without a state court having pronounced a judgment against him – you can imagine that he was under great pressure.”
Blatter Andenmatten said her father deserved to enjoy the rest of his life without being “constantly torpedoed” by FIFA and urged the worldwide governing body to leave him alone.
“I vehemently appeal to leave my father in peace and give him what he needs on the way to a hospital complete recovery of rest, time and relaxation,” she added.
-insidethegames
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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