January 8 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is recovering after being rushed to hospital, but his life is not in danger according to Swiss media.
“My father is in hospital. He’s getting better every day. But he needs time and rest,” his daughter Corinne Blatter Andenmatten was quoted as saying by Blick, which said the 84-year-old was in a serious condition.
“On behalf of my family, I ask for privacy,” she added.
After 17 years in charge at FIFA, Blatter was removed from office in 2015 and suspended for eight years, later reduced to six, over that infamous CHF2m payment to Michel Platini four years earlier, for which he is still under criminal investigation in Switzerland.
Since then Blatter has faced a number of other criminal charges levelled by FIFA but has never once been convicted of any criminal behaviour.
In the latest charge last month FIFA issued a complaint of “criminal mismanagement” against Blatter and “other persons” relating to their involvement in the FIFA museum project in Zurich.
“The accusations are baseless and are vehemently repudiated,” his lawyer Lorenz Erni said at the time.
This isn’t the first time Blatter has been hospitalised, having suffered health problems in November 2015 and July 2016.
He has always denied any wrongdoing in the face of the criminal charges, but is unlikely to return to football administration though he still follows the game with a passion.
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