FIFA life ban for Bin Hammam

Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam has been banned for life by FIFA after being found guilty of corruption allegations.

Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation since 2002, had been accused of trying to bribe Caribbean football officials ahead of last month’s FIFA presidential election.

The ban was announced on Saturday by Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee, after a two-day hearing in Switzerland.

Damaseb told reporters: “Bin Hammam is hereby banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for life.”

The 62-year-old Bin Hammam, who did not attend the hearing, has pledged his innocence since being suspended from football-related activities on May 29.

He said through a statement on Friday that he expected a guilty verdict and that he would appeal.

Following the verdict, a spokesman of the Qatari said: “He (Bin Hammam) maintains his innocence. He will continue to fight his case through the legal routes that are open to him.”