Skip to main content

FIFA bans ExCo member Fernando for 90 days

A source close to FIFA said the 63-year-old - a member of the executive since 2011 - was banned while Michael Garcia, the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, examines an alleged misuse of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) funds.

Fernando was a close ally of former FIFA executive committee member and AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was banned from football for life by FIFA following his involvement in the 2011 bribery scandal when he was standing against Blatter for president.

Fernando accompanied Bin Hammam on his ill-fated trip to Trinidad which precipitated the Qatari's downfall.

Fernando lists his profession as an attorney at law on FIFA's executive committee web page, says his hobby is "playing the stock market" and states his fondest footballing memories are meeting Pele and "being elected at FIFA".

Blatter, who has vigorously denied media accusations regarding his own probity over the last few years, approved the establishment of an independent investigation into world football's governing body with the aim of ridding it of dishonest officials and the suspicion that the body was corrupt.

In its statement, FIFA said the decision to ban Fernando was taken "based on Article 83, Paragraph One of the FIFA Code of Ethics, in order to prevent interference with the establishment of the truth with respect to proceedings now in the adjudicatory chamber".