By Andrew Warshaw
November 23 – Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter has revealed he feared for his life when recently admitted to hospital in the wake of the deepening corruption crisis that has engulfed football’s world governing body.
The 79-year-old Swiss, whose 18-year FIFA presidency is in danger of ending in ignominy pending final sentencing in the ethics probe against him, was reported to have suffered a “small emotional breakdown” when treated for a stress-related health scare but now says he feared he was dying.
Both Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini saw respective appeals against their 90-day suspensions rejected by FIFA’s appeals panel last week. FIFA’s ethics committee is shortly to announce its final verdict and Blatter admitted that the entire FIFA scandal which exploded six months ago had taken its toll on him.
“I was close to dying. At some stage the body says ‘no, enough is enough’,” Blatter told Swiss broadcaster RTS in an interview to be broadcast on Wednesday.
“I was between the angels who were singing and the devil who was lighting the fire, but it was the angels who sang.”
Blatter was provisionally suspended after being accused of signing a contract “unfavourable” to FIFA and making a “disloyal payment” to Platini of SFr2 million.
Both have denied any wrongdoing and in the interview, Blatter called his would-be successor, with whom he has had an up-and-down relationship over the years, “an honest man” who would re-emerge as presidential favourite if he is able to run.
“There is an agreement, even in the FIFA regulations, that a contract can be made either in writing or orally. It is an oral contract, a contract of work,” said Blatter even though the payment was made in 2011 around the time of his re-election, some nine years after the work was carried out.
Platini is technically still in the running to succeed Blatter when the election is held on February 26 – provided he clears his name in time. “If he comes back, he will be elected,” said Blatter. “And then [if] he comes back, I will return too” to formally hand over.
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