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SEPP BLATTER

Sepp Blatter to defy FIFA ban to attend World Cup and meet Putin

Disgraced former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter will defy a ban to attend two World Cup matches and also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, his spokesman said on Monday.

Published: 18 June 2018 20:22 CEST
Sepp Blatter to defy FIFA ban to attend World Cup and meet Putin
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference in Zurich in March. Photo: AFP

Blatter is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors for alleged corruption during his 17-year reign at the head of FIFA.

The 82-year-old was suspended for six years by FIFA in February 2016 from any football-related activity over a €1.8-million ($2mln) payment to Michel Platini.

Blatter was replaced at the head of FIFA by Gianni Infantino.

Despite his ban, Blatter has on several occasions said he would respond favourably to an invitation from Putin to come and see the World Cup in Russia.

Contacted by AFP, FIFA said it had no comment on Blatter's trip, the Swiss national slated to fly to Moscow Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's Portugal-Morocco Group B match in the Russian capital.

He was also scheduled to attend Brazil's Group E match against Costa Rica in St Petersburg on Friday before returning to Switzerland.

FOOTBALL

Austria investigates football chief for alleged corruption

Austrian prosecutors said Wednesday they are investigating the national football federation head over a payment made at the time of the disgraced Sepp Blatter's re-election as Fifa president in 2015.

Published: 10 January 2018 15:40 CET
Austria investigates football chief for alleged corruption
In this 2009 image Austrian football federation president Leo Windtner (L) takes part in the presentation of Austria's then new national team football coach Dietmar "Didi" Constantini. Photo: AFP

“We are investigating because of the suspicion of breach of trust and corruption,” the public prosecution office for economic and corruption affairs (WKStA) said.

The $100,000 (€84,000) transfer was made by Fifa, the world governing body, to a project supporting young footballers in Africa at the beginning of 2015.

The patron of this project was none other than the wife of the head of the Austrian Football Federation (ÖFB), Leo Windtner.

According to two Austrian websites, Addendum and 90minuten.at, the funds were approved just after Windtner had said in an interview that he supported Blatter serving another term.

The money was initially wired to the ÖFB, which returned it to Fifa, saying it was not involved in the African project. Fifa then transferred it directly to the project's account.

Windtner, 67, said on Wednesday that he would make a statement to prosecutors in the coming days and that he was “relaxed” about the probe.

“I didn't give Blatter any promise or undertaking,” Windtner said. “Everything was transparent and every cent accounted for. I have nothing to reproach myself for.”

He conceded that the money was at first wrongly transferred to the ÖFB and not to the African project, “but that was no fault of mine”.

In the end, the ÖFB supported Blatter's rival for the Fifa presidency, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.

Blatter won re-election but amid swirling corruption allegations the Swiss was later banned from soccer for making an improper payment to then-Uefa chief Michel Platini.