FIFA suspends Blatter-created presidential award

Baku. 8 January. REPORT.AZ/ FIFA will not give the presidential award traditionally chosen by Sepp Blatter at the Ballon d'Or gala on Monday due to fallout from its corruption crisis, Report informs.

FIFA says the award is on hold for one year "due to the transitional phase which FIFA is currently in."

Blatter was banned from football for eight years by the FIFA ethics committee last month. He was replaced in October on an interim basis by senior vice-president Issa Hayatou.

Blatter first made the personal award at FIFA's annual awards in 2001.

Previous recipients include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Franz Beckenbauer, who is under an ethics investigation.

FIFA says Hayatou will make the formal opening speech at the ceremony.