Sepp Blatter says he was near death and among angels

The investigative branch did not disclose the severity of the recommended sanctions, or the evidence collected, but both Blatter and Platini have been implicated in possible criminal conduct in a separate case launched by Swiss prosecutors.

Blatter, 79, banned during the continuing probe into corruption at football’s world governing body, went into hospital this month with stress.

On Saturday, FIFA Ethics Committee submitted its final reports containing requests for sanctions against Blatter and Platini.

Platini would like to succeed Blatter as FIFA’s president but is forbidden from campaigning for the job while suspended. “It was the angels who sang” – but did not go into details on his condition.

‘I was close to dying, ‘ he said.

The pair saw respective appeals against their 90-day suspensions rejected by FIFA’s Ethics Commission last week in relation to an alleged disloyal payment made by Federation Internationale de Football Association to Platini in 2011.

Sepp Blatter has claimed that he was “very close to death” after he collapsed earlier this month, fainting at his parents’ grave whilst visiting with family members before being taken to hospital.

Blatter was reported to have suffered a “small emotional breakdown” at the time.

“I was between the angels who were singing and the devil who was lighting the fire, but it was the angels who sang”, said Blatter. He has appealed to the Court of Arbitration of Sport against his provisional ban but, even if he wins and is allowed to stand, his plans would be scuppered if Eckert’s adjudicatory chamber accepts the investigation’s recommendations.

The FIFA ethics committee says it expects to come to a decision during December. In this May 29, 2015 file picture FIFA president Sepp Blatter, right, walks past Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, left, and UEFA President Michel Platini, center, during the 65th FIFA Congress held n Zurich, Switze…