Zurich-based Fifa has banned Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam for life from football after finding him guilty of attempted bribery.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The world football governing body’s ethics committee announced the decision on Saturday evening.
Bin Hammam had been accused of trying to buy votes during his challenge to the current Fifa president, the Swiss Sepp Blatter.
The Qatari later withdrew from the election, allowing Blatter to be re-elected without opposition.
Saturday’s verdict “was in keeping with the declared policy of the committee to show zero tolerance of unethical behaviour”, said panel chairman Petrus Damaseb.
Bin Hammam, a 15-year veteran of the Fifa executive committee, is the most senior football official convicted of corruption in its 107-year history.
His lawyer said bin Hammam rejected the findings based on “so-called circumstantial evidence” and maintained his innocence. The Qatari would continue to fight his case, he said.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
European nations snub Swiss-made weapons over Ukraine restrictions
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
“Captain” Blatter wins fourth Fifa term
This content was published on
Blatter received 186 out of a possible 208 votes at Fifa’s Congress in Zurich on Wednesday. The election and last year’s process of appointing the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts have been mired in controversy. Fifa’s image was further dented when Blatter’s only challenger for president, Mohamed bin Hammam, was forced to pull out…
This content was published on
But Fifa on Sunday evening announced in Zurich that it had temporarily suspended two other top officials, Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner, over the affair, saying they should face a full inquiry. Bin Hammam, the head of Asian football, had said that he was withdrawing from Fifa’s presidential election, where he was the only…
This content was published on
Football: a game where two 11-member teams try to push a ball into the opposing team’s goal, using any part of the body except their hands and arms. This simple recipe has helped make it the most popular sport in the world. (All pictures: Reuters/Keystone)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.