Timeline: How the Fifa scandal unfolded

Credit: Reuters

The suspension of four high profile football executives has thrown world football into turmoil.

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have both been provisionally banned for 90 days from any football-related activity while Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke has also been banned for 90 days.

Fifa presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon has been banned for six years and fined £67,000, Fifa's ethic committee has announced.

Their suspensions mark the latest stage in the scandal enveloping Fifa which began in 2010.

December 2010: Fifa announced that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be staged in Russia and Qatar respectively. The awarding of hosting rights came a few days after a BBC Panorama programme exposed activities within the organisation.

February 2011: After the Sunday Times published an investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Fifa's ethics committee upheld bans on two of its executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii for breaches of FIFA's code of ethics.

Smiles all round as Qatar is awarded the 2022 World Cup Credit: Reuters

May 2011: A Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam and vice-president Jack Warner are suspended after claims Caribbean Football Union members were offered financial incentives. The Qatar 2022 team denies any wrongdoing with their bid.

June 2011: Bin Hammam found guilty of bribery and given a lifetime ban from football.

June 2014: The Sunday times produces a series of reports after it says it received "hundreds of millions" of documents claiming to reveal how Bin Hammam made payments to football officials in exchange for votes for Qatar.

September 2014: Fifa's head of ethics committee Michael Garcia completes his report into allegations of corruption at Fifa.

November 2014: A summary of Garcia's report by the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA's independent ethics committee, Hans-Joachim Eckert, effectively exonerates Russia and Qatar. Fifa says the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 is over but Garcia appeals against the summary. He loses and resigns.

Former CONCACAF official Chuck Blazer admitted taking bribes Credit: Reuters

May 2015: Seven FIFA officials are arrested in dawn raids at a Zurich hotel in Zurich and later charged by US authorities along with other FIFA officials over allegations of racketeering and money-laundering. Sepp Blatter is re-elected as Fifa president for a fifth term.

2 June 2015: Sepp Blatter announces he will resign as Fifa president just days after his re-election."Fifa has been my life...what counts most for me is Fifa and football around the world," he said.

3 June 2015: Former CONCACAF official Chuck Blazer says he took bribes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. The South Africa Football Association denies the claims.

9 June 2015: It is revealed that $10m sent by Fifa to Jack Warner did not appear in the Caribbean Football Union's annual accounts.

2 July 2015: The United States asks the Swiss authorities to extradite the seven FIFA officials arrested in May.

9 July 2015: Blazer is banned from football for life.

20 July 2015: Fifa announces the election for a new president will be held in February 2016. British comedian Simon Brodkin showers Sepp Blatter with fake money during a press conference.

Sepp Blatter gets showered with fake money Credit: Reuters

24 July 2015: Jerome Valcke announces he will step down as FIFA secretary general in February.

29 July 2015: UEFA president Michel Platini announces he will stand for the FIFA presidency.

17 August 2015: Fifa says it is investigating a 'heavily critical' dossier on Uefa president Michel Platini.

9 September 2015: Prince Ali of Jordan confirms he will to run for the Fifa presidency.

17 September 2015: Jerome Valcke is put on leave after being implicated in a ticketing scandal.

25 September: The Swiss Attorney General launches criminal proceedings against Sepp Blatter and says he is suspected of making a "disloyal payment" of £1.3 million to Uefa president Michel Platini. Platini says the payment he received "relates to work which I carried out under a contract with Fifa."

28 September: Sepp Blatter denies any wrongdoing during a staff meeting at Fifa HQ and vows to remain in office until the election for his successor in February.

29 September: Jack Warner banned from football for life by Fifa's ethics committee.

30 September 2015: The Football Association confirms it will continue to back Michel Platini in his candidature for the Fifa presidency in spite of the investigation into him..

Jack Warner has been banned from all football activities for life Credit: Reuters

2 October 2015: Major Fifa sponsors, including Visa, Budweiser, McDonald's and Coca-Cola call on Sepp Blatter to step down immediately as president of Fifa. Blatter refuses. Two other sponsors, Adidas and Hyundai, say they will not back demands for his resignation.

6 October 2015: Fifa presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon claims he is facing suspension from the ethics committee.

8 October 2015: Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are both provisionally banned for 90 days from any football-related activity. Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke is banned for 90 days and Chung Mong-joon is banned for six years and fined 100,000 Swiss francs, Fifa's ethic committee has announced.