Governing Bodies
Ex-Fifa boss Blatter ‘happy’ after meeting Swiss prosecutor in payment probe
Former world football chief Sepp Blatter on Monday (Aug 9) met a Swiss prosecutor investigating suspected fraud surrounding a Fifa payment to Michel Platini, as the long-running probe inches towards a conclusion.
The 85-year-old former Fifa president is being investigated over a two million Swiss franc (S$3.25 million) payment in 2011 to Platini, who was then in charge of European football’s governing body Uefa.
In a statement ahead of the hearing, Blatter said he was going into the session with optimism.
After the interview at the federal prosecutor’s office in Zurich, the city where the global football governing body has its headquarters, Blatter said he would return on Tuesday to resume the final hearing in the investigation.
“It is a normal audience. It’s the first part. The second part will be tomorrow,” he told journalists waiting outside.
“It was in a good spirit.”
Blatter, who was accompanied by his lawyer Lorenzo Erni, said he would spend the rest of the day resting and working. He smiled and waved as he was driven away.
His spokesman Thomas Renggli told AFP that Fifa had a lawyer present at Monday’s meeting.
“It’s over for today, but it will continue tomorrow. Mr Blatter is happy. He said it has gone well so far,” Renggli said. “He hopes the hearing ends tomorrow.”
The hearing with a federal prosecutor from the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) of Switzerland was postponed to this week due to the retired Swiss football administrator’s health.
He spent two months in hospital in December and January after undergoing heart surgery, and in March was convalescing in a clinic.
Due to Blatter’s condition, he was only meant to spend around 90 minutes with the prosecutor on Monday. But he spent more than two and a half hours inside and said he would return on Tuesday.
‘Fraud, breach of trust’
Joseph “Sepp” Blatter joined Fifa in 1975, became its general secretary in 1981 and president in 1998.
He was forced to stand down in 2015 and was originally banned by Fifa for eight years, later reduced to six, over ethics breaches when he authorised what prosecutors termed a “disloyal payment” to Platini – in other words, one made in his own interests rather than Fifa’s.
Blatter and Platini, 66, found themselves at the centre of a Swiss federal investigation.
“Specifically, the criminal proceedings against Joseph Blatter are now being conducted on suspicion of fraud, breach of trust and unfaithful business management,” the OAG said in a statement ahead of Monday’s hearing.
“The criminal proceedings against Michel Platini are being conducted on suspicion of fraud, participation in breach of trust, participation in unfaithful management and false documents.”
Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, in lengthy and complex proceedings, suspects “are questioned one last time before the investigation is concluded, and asked to comment on the results of the investigation”, the OAG added.
“Conducting final interviews does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the outcome of criminal proceedings (discontinuation, penalty order or indictment).”
‘Late payment of wages’
While Blatter’s final hearings with the prosecutor were postponed to August, Platini’s took place in March.
Blatter insisted that the payment to former France and Juventus attacking midfielder Platini, considered among world football’s greatest players, was above board.
“It was based on an oral contract that regulated Platini’s advisory activities for Fifa between 1998 and 2002,” he said.
“The process was correctly declared as a late payment of wages.”
The OAG said the presumption of innocence applied to all parties in the proceedings and it could not put a time frame on concluding the investigation.
–AFP
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
Governing Bodies
Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports
Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.
The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”
He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.
“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.
“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.
“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”
Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.
The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.
“The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.”
RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Governing Bodies
CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball
The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.
The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA”
The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.
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