Former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam has had his lifetime ban from FIFA activities annulled by the court of arbitration for sport (CAS).
Former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam has had his lifetime ban from FIFA activities annulled by the court of arbitration for sport (CAS).
The decision was qualified, however, stating that Hammam had not been found innocent of supplying the money for $40,000 cash bribes distributed by former FIFA executive committee member Jack Warner.
The three-person CAS panel-s decision was not clear cut, stating that the case against Hammam was “not proven” because FIFA own investigation “was not complete or comprehensive enough”.
The 63-year-old Qatari said the FIFA action against him was retribution for having challenged Blatter, but said he had no interest in standing for the presidency again.
“I promise you I will not quit until I clear my name,” Bin Hammam told the BBC World Service.
"I have one aim, one mission, one target and that is to clear my name and then I say goodbye."
The decision raises questions about Blatter-s re-election to the FIFA presidency.
Bin Hammam had been considered a strong challenger, but he was forced to step aside after Warner told FIFA officials the cash he distributed to officials from Caribbean nations had come from Bin Hammam.
Warner resigned soon after and refused to talk to investigators, leaving Blatter to run for re-election unopposed.
Bin Hammam, who recently challenged Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA, remains under provisional suspension from the AFC for possible violations of the AFC ethics code.