Blatter To Sue FIFA And Infantino For ‘Defamation’

Best Choice Sports With Agency Report
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, Bestchoicesports.com.ng understands.
“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.
AFP