<div>FIFA President Sepp Blatter was interrogated by Swiss federal police on Friday and faces criminal charges over alleged financial corruption.<br /><br />Switzerland's attorney general's office said Friday it opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.<br /><br />The Swiss federal prosecutor's office also said Blatter's office was searched and data was seized.<br /><br />FIFA vice president Michel Platini was also questioned as a witness over a "disloyal payment" of 2 million Swiss francs he received from Blatter in February 2011, Swiss authorities say. Under Swiss law, a payment is classified disloyal if it is against the best interest of the employer — in this case FIFA.<br /><br />Platini, who is the favorite to succeed the outgoing Blatter as FIFA president next February, was a personal adviser to his former mentor when he started out in football politics.<br /><br />The payment by Blatter from FIFA funds was "allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002," the attorney general's office said.<br /><br />Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA's executive committee. The 79-year-old Swiss had been set to hold a news conference for international media after the meeting, but it was first postponed and then suddenly cancelled.<br /><br />Blatter is the first person to be formally quizzed as a suspect in the Swiss case, which FIFA instigated last November when it complained about possible money laundering in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests won by Russia and Qatar.<br /><br />The allegations Friday also relate to World Cup broadcasting contracts Blatter agreed to with disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner in 2005.<br /><br />"There is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA," the Swiss federal office said. <br /></div>
<div>FIFA President Sepp Blatter was interrogated by Swiss federal police on Friday and faces criminal charges over alleged financial corruption.<br /><br />Switzerland's attorney general's office said Friday it opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.<br /><br />The Swiss federal prosecutor's office also said Blatter's office was searched and data was seized.<br /><br />FIFA vice president Michel Platini was also questioned as a witness over a "disloyal payment" of 2 million Swiss francs he received from Blatter in February 2011, Swiss authorities say. Under Swiss law, a payment is classified disloyal if it is against the best interest of the employer — in this case FIFA.<br /><br />Platini, who is the favorite to succeed the outgoing Blatter as FIFA president next February, was a personal adviser to his former mentor when he started out in football politics.<br /><br />The payment by Blatter from FIFA funds was "allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002," the attorney general's office said.<br /><br />Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA's executive committee. The 79-year-old Swiss had been set to hold a news conference for international media after the meeting, but it was first postponed and then suddenly cancelled.<br /><br />Blatter is the first person to be formally quizzed as a suspect in the Swiss case, which FIFA instigated last November when it complained about possible money laundering in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests won by Russia and Qatar.<br /><br />The allegations Friday also relate to World Cup broadcasting contracts Blatter agreed to with disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner in 2005.<br /><br />"There is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA," the Swiss federal office said. <br /></div>