Sepp Blatter told his staff he has done “nothing illegal or improper,” the FIFA president’s legal team said on Monday.
Blatter was back at FIFA headquarters three days after being interrogated by Swiss investigators at the scandal-battered governing body’s headquarters. Blatter is expected to hand over power in February when an emergency election is held, triggered by the president’s resignation statement four days after being re-elected for a fifth, four-year term in May.
But the 79-year-old Blatter does not appear to be planning any sudden exit despite being the subject of a criminal investigation over his management of world soccer.
“President Blatter spoke to FIFA staff today and informed the staff that he was cooperating with the authorities, reiterated that he had done nothing illegal or improper and stated that he would remain as president of FIFA,” Blatter’s attorney, Richard Cullen, said in a statement.
Blatter was questioned by Swiss investigators on Friday about why FIFA paid 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) to UEFA President Michel Platini in 2011 for work supposedly carried out at least nine years earlier. Blatter denied wrongdoing and Platini, who is also a FIFA vice president, was only questioned as a witness.
‘reputation might be harmed by probe’
UEFA president Michel Platini says the investigation into a payment he received from FIFA “may harm my image and my reputation” but he insists the income was fully declared to Swiss authorities. Platini, who hopes to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in the February election, was questioned as a witness on Friday over the payment. The transaction was signed off by Blatter, who has been accused of wrongdoing by Swiss authorities.
In a letter to UEFA members Monday, says the payment of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) related to his “full-time job” at FIFA. He didn’t address his FIFA candidacy and did not explain why the payment was made in 2011 even though it related to work carried out up to 2002.