Blatter: FIFA payments were clean and fair

Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied allegations that he benefitted improperly from bonus payments over the last five years.

On Friday, lawyers conducting an internal investigation at world football’s governing body claimed that Blatter and fellow disgraced former officials Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner benefitted improperly from bonuses totalling 79million Swiss francs (£55m).

Law firm Quinn Emanuel believe two clauses in contract extensions granted to ex-secretary general Valcke and former deputy secretary general Kattner in April 2011, shortly before Blatter’s re-election ahead of Mohammed Bin Hamman, contravened mandatory Swiss Law.

Quinn Emanuel stated that “the evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives.”

However, Blatter has denied any wrongdoing regarding the payment, telling DPA: “Everything is clean and fair as my lawyer, Richard Cullen, has said.”

On Friday Cullen said: “We look forward to showing FIFA that Mr Blatter’s compensation payments were proper, fair and in line with the heads of major professional sports leagues around the world.”

Blatter and Valcke are serving respective six and 12-year bans from all football-related activity, administered by FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee. Both men deny any wrongdoing.