No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessPlatini deal was 'gentleman's agreement' - FIFA's Blatter

Platini deal was ‘gentleman’s agreement’ – FIFA’s Blatter

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed on Friday that the $2 million payment he made to UEFA president Michel Platini was a “gentleman’s agreement.”

“It was a contract I had with Platini, a gentleman’s agreement,” the 79-year-old said in an interview with Swiss media RROTV.

“It was implemented. I can’t give any more details, the issue is being discussed in two investigations.”

Asked directly if the contract had been made within the rules, Blatter added: “Yes, certainly, it was within the rules.”

Blatter and Platini, 60, have both been suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee as Swiss authorities conduct a criminal investigation into corruption allegations at the scandal-tainted world football governing body.

Blatter defiantly backed his right to discuss the ongoing controversy and investigation.

“I don’t have the right to go to a football stadium, but I do have the right to talk to whoever I want,” he added.

“I am not sidelined, I am only suspended.”

Recommended: 4 reasons why FIFA’s Sepp Blatter must step down immediately

Blatter, who has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, still intends to be present when the FIFA congress meets on February 26 to elect a new president.

“My goal is to preside over the congress, that is my objective. I don’t believe it will be postponed.”

Blatter also blasted the international media for “pre-judging” him, saying his suspension had been a “shock.”

He added he was baffled by the decision to bar him from his office.

“I have not stolen, I haven’t killed, I haven’t favored anybody!”

The suspension, he said, had given him “time to think” and that he was “doing fine, even if it is a difficult period.”

See also: Switzerland approves extradition to US of Costa Rican FIFA official Eduardo Li

Trending Now

How Costa Rican Women Won the Right to Vote

On July 30, 1950, Costa Rica witnessed a quiet but groundbreaking revolution: for the first time, women voted alongside men, marking a turning point...

A Costa Rica Expat and the Devil on His Shoulder

Everyone has a dark side—that little devil in your conscience that says, go ahead and do it! even though you know it’s wrong. It...

Costa Rica’s PPSO Backs Laura Fernández to Continue Rodrigo Chaves’s Agenda

Former Minister of Economy Francisco Gamboa and attorney Douglas Soto will join Laura Fernández for the 2026 elections, representing the Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO),...

La Negrita: Faith, Unity, and the Heart of Costa Rica

Today, thousands of pilgrims from across Costa Rica are arriving at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. They come on...

Tsunami Alerts in Latin America After 8.8 Quake in Russia

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East coast on Wednesday, one of the most powerful quakes ever recorded, triggering tsunamis with waves up...

Guatemala Plans Visit to Migrants Held in Alligator Alcatraz Detention Center

The government of Guatemala confirmed on Friday that it arranged a visit to a detention center known as the "Alligator Alcatraz," located in a...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica