Blatter to remain as FIFA president

Sepp Blatter has denied any wrongdoing and has
vowed to continue as president of FIFA despite a
criminal investigation.
Sepp Blatter has vowed to continue as FIFA president until
February's election and has denied any wrongdoing after a
criminal investigation was opened last week.
A probe into allegations of criminal mismanagement was
launched by the Swiss attorney general against Blatter last
week, while it was confirmed they would look into the
circumstances surrounding a payment made to UEFA president
Michel Platini.

Blatter, however, has released a statement after returning to
FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Monday and has stated he will
not step aside as the investigation continues.
A communication from Blatter's legal team read: "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.

"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."

Swiss prosecutors confirmed last week that Blatter was
suspected of signing a contract with former Caribbean football
chief Jack Warner in 2005 which was "unfavourable to FIFA", in
relation to a TV rights agreement which would allegedly prove
hugely beneficial to Warner's own company.

The alleged payment made to Platini, believed to total £1.3
million, was claimed to be "at the expense of FIFA, which was
allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and
June 2002" though Platini himself moved to clarify the issue.

"Regarding the payment that was made to me, I wish to state
that this amount relates to work which I carried out under a
contract with FIFA and I was pleased to have been able to
clarify all matters relating to this with the authorities," the UEFA
chief said.

Richard Cullen, another of Blatter's legal team, stated last week
that he was confident the allegations would be dropped.

"When the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the
documents and the evidence, they will see that the contract was
properly prepared and negotiated by the appropriate staff
members of FIFA who were routinely responsible for such
contracts, and certainly no mismanagement occurred," he said