When Sepp Blatter arrived at FIFA in 1975, he had already had a few interesting jobs in his career. He had been general secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Association, press secretary of the Swiss Sports Association, and director of public relations at a Swiss watch manufacturer. By 1981, Blatter had risen to the position of general secretary at FIFA.

After 17 years as general secretary under FIFA President Joao Havelange, the economics graduate was elected president of football's world governing body. In 1998, he beat the favorite, then-UEFA President Lennart Johansson to become Havelange's successor. Shortly afterwards, rumors emerged that he had bought votes to ensure his victory.

In 2002 Blatter's own general secretary, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, took on the president, presenting a 30-page document accusing him of financial mismanagement. Blatter prevented an internal investigation, but the dossier was handed to Swiss authorities. Blatter was cleared of any wrongdoing.

In the summer of 2000 the right to host the 2006 World Cup was awarded to Germany. Blatter was known to favor the South African bid and had the vote finished in a tie, as appeared probable, he could have cast the deciding vote. However, Oceania delegate Charlie Dempsey abstained, citing "intolerable pressure" from outside handing the decision to Germany.

Blatter always liked to rub shoulders with the world's movers and shakers. In 2004, he went to South Africa, where he met with former President and national hero Nelson Mandela. Having failed to bring the World Cup to South Africa in 2006, he promised South Africa and Mandela the 2010 World Cup.

Mohammed bin Hammam, a FIFA Executive Committee member from Qatar, was once a close confidante of Blatter. In 2011, Bin Hammam announced his intention to run against Blatter in the election for FIFA president - only to be confronted with bribery allegations. He withdrew his candidacy and was later banned for life by FIFA.

The FIFA president enjoyed traveling the world, and was particularly welcome in many countries in Africa and Asia, from where he drew much of his power base at football's world governing body.

Sepp Blatter and Franz Beckenbauer were once close associates. However, in 2014, Beckenbauer was banned for 90 days by FIFA for refusing to cooperate with an inquiry into corruption surrounding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The ban was lifted after he agreed to cooperate. Last March, the Ethics Committee opened formal proceedings against him over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup.

Four days after his controversial re-election as FIFA president in May 2015, Sepp Blatter announced that he would step down. In October 2015, FIFA suspended him over a dubious payment to UEFA President Michel Platini. Two months later, FIFA's Ethics Committee banned both men from football for eight years. A FIFA appeals committee later reduced the bans from eight to six years.

A lasting image? In July 2015, a British comedian posing as a journalist approached the podium as Sepp Blatter was about to hold a news conference after an Extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee meeting in Zurich. The prankster tossed a wad of banknotes in the air before he was led off by security.

Then-UEFA President Michel Platini had once been seen as the favorite to succeed Blatter in FIFA's top job. However, the bans imposed on both of them over a dubious payment made for consulting work conducted years earlier ended any hopes Platini had of succeeding Blatter. Instead, his former secretary general at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, was elected FIFA president in February 2016.

On December 5, 2016, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the Blatter's six-year ban from all football-related activities. FIFA had initially banned him for eight years in December 2015, but this was later reduced to six by FIFA's appeals committee. Given his advanced age, this would appear to have ended his career as a top football administrator.