Blatter blames U.S. for his eight-year suspension

The world of FIFA and its corporate sponsors took another rough hit as longtime president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michael Platini were barred from the sport for eight years by the FIFA Ethics Committee on Monday in Zurich, Switzerland.

The ruling prevents the duo from taking part in any soccer-related activities for the next eight years, according to the New York Times.

Wearing a bandage across his face, 79-year old Blatter vowed to appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. During a one-hour news conference, Blatter blamed a U.S. federal investigation for his eight-year sentence. If FIFA had awarded the 2022 World Cup to the U.S., Blatter claimed, he would not be in trouble.

FIFA sponsors Visa, McDonald’s and Anheuser-Busch InBev have called for Blatter’s resignation.

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