Sepp Blatter is “in fighting mood” despite being provisionally suspended from his post as Fifa president earlier this month and is determined to clear his name, according to his spokesman.
Blatter, who has denied any wrongdoing, was provisionally banned for 90 days by football’s governing body on 8 October along with the Uefa president, Michel Platini, after the Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, opened a criminal investigation into allegations the Fifa president mis-sold a World Cup TV rights contract to the disgraced former Fifa official Jack Warner in 2006.
The 79-year-old has since been keeping a low profile, despite giving an interview to the Swiss broadcaster RROTV last week when he said a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.35m), which he authorised in February 2011, “was a contract I had with Platini, a gentleman’s agreement and that went through”. However, his spokesman Klaus Stoehlker told the Guardian on Friday that Blatter is back from a short break in the Alps and is now determined to prove he is innocent of all charges.
“He is in excellent spirits. Let me tell you, he is in fighting mood,” said Stoehlker.
“The president has the impression that too many people are taking an aggressive approach to this story but there is still a long way to go in this story. There should be some more information next week.”
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