Sepp Blatter payed off Michel Platini with £1.3 million to stop presidency challenge...

FIFA president Sepp Blatter paid Michel Platini, his nearest rival in a leadership election £1.3million ‘weeks’ before the Frenchman pulled out of the contest, it has been alleged.

Claims Mr Blatter personally authorised the ‘disloyal’ payment to UEFA chief Mr Platini were included in a statement by the Attorney General of Switzerland announcing legal action against the 79-year-old Swiss last week.

Investigators believe Mr Blatter improperly used FIFA funds to direct two million Swiss Francs to his closest challenger for FIFA’s top job in February 2011.

The two men were scheduled to go head-to-head in a June election involving representatives of all six global football federations, before Mr Platini suddenly withdrew from the contest.

 It came just two months after the 2022 World Cup had controversially been awarded to Qatar, as Mr Blatter was campaigning for his fourth term in office. Full story...

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