FIFA head accused of ‘disloyal payment’ to UEFA chief
FIFA President Sepp Blatter is under investigation for authorizing a “disloyal payment” to Michel Platini, the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
“Joseph Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of 2.0 million Swiss francs ($2.04 million, 1.8 million euros) to Michel Platini, President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA,” the office of Switzerland’s attorney general said in a statement on Friday.
“Criminal proceedings against the president of FIFA, Mr Joseph Blatter, have been opened.”
The statement added that the payment had been done in February 2011, and had allegedly been made “for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002.”
Blatter’s lawyer, Richard Cullen, said the FIFA chief had committed no wrongdoing and would be cleared of the charge.
“We are confident that when the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the documents and the evidence, they will see that … certainly no mismanagement occurred.”
The 79-year-old chief of the international governing body of football had hoped Platini would succeed him as the next FIFA president when he steps down in five months.
Blatter announced his decision to step down four months ago. However, he later decided to expand his time in office to help choose his successor.
Blatter has been presiding over FIFA for 17 years.
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