Blatter, Platini vow to fight bans

Soccer heavyweights face eight years in wilderness after tribunal ruling

FIFA's ethics tribunal banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for eight years on Monday, saying they had abused their positions over a suspect $2 million payment.

In a verdict that heightened the crisis in soccer's scandal-plagued world body, the court strongly criticized the FIFA president and vice-president, saying there was "no legal basis" for the payment that Blatter authorized for Platini in 2011.