Former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter plans to sue world football’s
governing body and his successor for allegedly spreading “false information”
and damaging his reputation, according to a news report published Wednesday.
“I will take legal
actions against Gianni Infantino and FIFA,” Blatter told Swiss news magazine
Weltwoche.
“I’ve had it.
Enough is enough,” he said.
The 83-year-old
former president was suspended from FIFA in 2015 amid a gigantic corruption
scandal that rocked world football to its core.
But he claimed in
Wednesday’s interview that statements issued by FIFA regarding alleged payments
he had received contained false information.
“The information
and the different statements issued by FIFA regarding my income are untrue and
have therefore been detrimental to my reputation,” he said.
He alleged that
FIFA had spread “fake information and a deceitful representation” of the facts.
Among other things,
he challenged allegations that following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil he had
received a bonus of 12 million Swiss francs ($12 million, 10.5 million euros).
“Information that I
received this bonus is false,” he said.
He also charged
that false allegations had been made about his pension, and lamented that FIFA
had failed to hand back his belongings confiscated after his suspension,
including a valuable watch collection and personal documents.
Blatter, whose is
serving a six-year ban from world football, also insisted that a $2-million
payment he authorised in 2011 to Michel Platini, former head of UEFA and his
one-time heir apparent, had been handled correctly.
And he questioned
the channels through which the payment had come to prosecutors’ attention four
years later, saying he suspected Infantino.
“The way my
successor has treated me is incomprehensible, given that he took over a very
profitable organisation,” he said.
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