Sepp Blatter to remain president of FIFA: ‘I’ve done nothing illegal or improper’
FIFA president Spell Blatter has stated he will remain in the role as the head of global football despite criminal proceedings being opened against him by Swiss prosecutors.
It was claimed the 79-year-old chief could step down with immediate effort in the fallout to further investigations into the corruption scandal which engulfed the governing body earlier this year.
It was revealed on Friday that the Swiss attorney general have opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, who is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.
However, in a statement from his lawyer, Blatter says he will not step down because he "has done nothing wrong or improper".
Blatter also insisted the alleged 'disloyal playment' of £1.3million to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011, purportedly for work done more than nine years previously, was legitimate.
It was reported at the weekend that Platini, Blatter’s nearest rival in a leadership election, had received the payment ‘weeks’ before the Frenchman pulled out of the contest.
Both Blatter and Platini are being investigated by FIFA's ethics committee following the opening of the proceedings against the FIFA president.
A statement from Blatter's lawyer said: "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."
The statement added: "On the Platini matter, President Blatter on Friday shared with the Swiss authorities the fact that Mr Platini had a valuable employment relationship with FIFA serving as an advisor to the president beginning in 1998. He explained to the prosecutors that the payments were valid compensation and nothing more and were properly accounted for within FIFA including the withholding of Social Security contributions.
"Because of the continuing investigation President Blatter will answer no further questions at this time."