Swiss prosecutors open criminal proceedings against Blatter — Tremor in Federation Internationale de Football Association

The statement labelled Blatter “a suspect”. At the same time, Michel Platini was heard as a person asked to provide information (Article 178 of the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure).

What do the Swiss Attorney General mean when they say they have opened criminal proceedings?

Kelly Langmesser, an FBI spokesman in New York, told DPA it wouldn’t be appropriate for the FBI to comment on an investigation launched by another law enforcement authority.

FIFA, football’s global governing body, was thrown into crisis in May.

“As for all defendants, the presumption of innocence applies for Mr Joseph Blatter”, said the Swiss Attorney General. Last week the General Secretary got suspended and this week the President is being interviewed by the police. The Swiss federal prosecutor’s office also said Blatter’s office was searched and data was seized.

Blatter is a stated target of that case but has always denied being corrupt, blaming individuals who are outside of FIFA’s control.

The 79-year-old Blatter is set to step down in February as a result of those probes, but Friday’s events made an early exit seem inevitable.

However, the source said: “It is over for him now, it is finished”. Major League Baseball said the meeting with the career hits leader and his representatives took place Thursday at baseball’s headquarters in New York…

Meanwhile, a separate probe by Swiss authorities is investigating potential corruption into the bidding process for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which will be hosted by Russian Federation and Qatar.

Fourteen officials and sports marketing executives, including a few of Mr Blatter’s closest colleagues, were indicted, but he managed to rise above the storm and even sought and won re-election.

The official said Blatter is not in custody and is free to travel, though he has largely avoided leaving Switzerland since May.

The payment was reportedly given to Platini “for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002”, according to the Swiss attorney general’s office.

Platini said in a statement issued by UEFA that he was entitled to receive the money, but did not address the apparent nine-year wait for payment. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Blatter oversaw one of his final meetings in the post in the past two days.

“We have a duty to use our expertise, our experience, and our knowledge to lift that cloud by taking action to demonstrate that Federation Internationale de Football Association is worthy of the sport it oversees on behalf of the players, the fans and the millions of young boys and girls who can benefit from it”.

Beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter was placed under a criminal investigation on Friday in a dramatic escalation of the corruption scandal engulfing world football as would-be successor Michel Platini came under scrutiny for receiving a murky multi-million-dollar payment.