Sepp Blatter

Fifa lodge criminal complaint over former president Blatter

The complaint relates to the involvement of Blatter and other former officials in the Fifa museum project.

It is the latest allegation of financial impropriety against Blatter, who resigned from his post as president in 2015 amid a corruption scandal.

The 84-year-old has always denied any wrongdoing.

Fifa, football's world governing body, say Blatter's previous administration cost them 500m Swiss francs ($800 milion) to renovate "a building that the organisation doesn't own", while also "locking itself into a long-term rental agreement on unfavourable terms".

Sepp Blatter reveals frozen balls used to fix European club draws

Draws to decide which teams play each other are conducted by selecting the table tennis-size balls from plastic bowls. The balls are unscrewed to reveal the team names inside.

Blatter, however, insisted the ruse was never used at FIFA.

"Of course it's technically possible. That doesn't happen in FIFA but I witnessed draws, at European level, in which that happened, but never at FIFA," Blatter told Argentine daily La Nacion in an interview on their website.

Putin says suspended FIFA boss Blatter deserves Nobel Peace Prize

Blatter is under criminal investigation in Switzerland over a two million Swiss francs ($2.79 million) payment made to vice president Michel Platini in 2011 for work carried out about a decade earlier.

Both Blatter and Platini are serving a 90-day ban from all football-related activities in connection with the investigation, with the football governing body to vote for a new head on February 26.

FIFA statement on Swiss investigation into Sepp Blatter

Since 27 May 2015, FIFA has been cooperating with the Office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) and has complied with all requests for documents, data and other information. We will continue this level of cooperation throughout the investigation.

Today, at the Home of FIFA, representatives from the Office of the Swiss Attorney General conducted interviews and gathered documents pursuant to its investigation. FIFA facilitated these interviews as part of our ongoing cooperation.

Swiss police open criminal case against FIFA head Blatter

Switzerland's attorney general's office says it opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.

The Swiss federal office says Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA's executive committee on Friday.

The Swiss federal prosecutor's office also said Blatter's office was searched and data was seized.

VIDEO: US Attorney General expects more FIFA charges

"We do anticipate pursuing additional charges against individuals and entities," Lynch said in FIFA's home city of Zurich, citing unspecified new evidence gathered since the 27 May arrests of seven people at a luxury hotel in the city.

Lynch spoke at a news conference alongside her Swiss counterpart, Michael Lauber, whose separate investigation of money laundering appears equally threatening to FIFA and its soon-departing president.

Platini to stand for FIFA Presidency

The UEFA President has written to all 209 member associations of FIFA to inform them of his intention to stand, having received indications of support from five continental confederations.

"There are times in life when you have to take your destiny into your own hands," said the Frenchman in the letter. 

"I am at one of those decisive moments, at a juncture in my life and in events that are shaping the future of FIFA.

"This was a very personal, carefully considered decision, one in which I weighed up the future of football alongside my own future.