Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter facing 80th birthday in very different world

Sepp Blatter enjoyed so many glitzy gala dinners during his time as FIFA president that it is not difficult to imagine how he might have planned his 80th birthday celebrations.

But as the shamed former head of world football's governing body reaches that milestone on Thursday, he may well have scaled back the festivities. In fact, such has his world changed since he turned 79, it is easy to argue that the party is already over.

Blatter is battling to save his reputation after being banned from all football-related activity by FIFA's ethics committee - a body he himself was instrumental in setting up.

An initial eight-year ban has been reduced to six on appeal, but the Swiss' reputation and legacy are in tatters and he must fight on to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to clear his name.

Blatter is under scrutiny over a "disloyal payment" of around £1.35million made to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011 for work the Frenchman carried out as a technical advisor between 1999 and 2002. The timing of this payment, just four months before Blatter was re-elected FIFA president, aroused suspicion.

Yet even before this came to light in September last year, Blatter's world had started to crumble. In May he was re-elected as president for an unprecedented fifth term by a convincing majority - but it was a ballot overshadowed by controversy.

Just days earlier the corruption allegations that had hung over FIFA for many years, but had never been adequately dealt with, exploded into the mainstream as the FBI and Swiss authorities swooped to arrest seven executives on charges of bribery and fraud.

Blatter was not indicted but such was the weight of the charges and loss of confidence in the organisation that within a week he announced his resignation, citing a lack of support. He said he would stay on until a successor could be elected, but his later suspension made that impossible.

It was an ignominious end for an autocrat who had proved highly adept at the political game throughout a career remarkable for its longevity.

Blatter, originally from the remote town of Visp in the Swiss Alps, first started working at FIFA as technical director in 1975. He had previously worked as a writer, in the watch industry and in sports management.

He served FIFA in a variety of roles before winning his first presidential election in 1998. His office gave him great influence and some observed that he almost viewed himself as a head of state. He certainly enjoyed some of the privileges of such roles and in 2014 Forbes ranked him as the 70th most powerful person in the world.

Some reports suggested he felt his work for the greater good of the game deserved a Nobel prize. On the face of it, that was impressive. He redistributed wealth to poorer footballing countries, allowing significant investment in facilities and education, health and social programmes.

Yet cynics saw this principally as a way of guaranteeing future votes and Blatter did himself no favours in terms of fighting critics with a frequent tendency to offend.

He claimed women should play in "tighter shorts", homosexuals should "refrain" at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and John Terry "would be applauded" for having an extra-marital affair if he was from a Latin country. There was also outrage when he suggested racism on the field could be solved with a handshake, although he later clarified his remarks.

But challengers to his position came and went. Blatter, who had a reputation as a charmer but could be ruthless when necessary, was a great survivor. He lasted for 17 years as head of FIFA and thought he could go on longer.

The various scandals surrounding FIFA eventually took their toll but while Blatter is gone, he is not forgotten - and nor is he slipping away quietly. His fight to CAS ensures there could be plenty more to come from him yet.