Blatter vows to sue FIFA over lost reputation and watch collection
Disgraced former FIFA president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter has threatened legal action against his former employer for spreading “false” rumours about alleged corruption and for failing to return his collection of valuable Swiss watches.
But Blatter continues to fight his corner, telling both the Swiss Weltwoche newspaper and the New York Times (NYT) this week that he has been wronged. He claims that FIFA has spread false information about him taking millions in rigged bonuses. More bizarrely, he says that FIFA has failed to return his collection of around 120 collectible watches, conservatively valued at $400,000 (CHF408,000).
“I’m going to take legal action against [current FIFA president] Gianni Infantino and FIFA,” he told WeltwocheExternal link on Thursday. “I’ve had enough. This is the limit.”
Blatter told the NYTExternal link that he will issue a lawsuit also claiming that FIFA has withheld pension payments to which he believes he is entitled. But he added that his chief goal will be to restore his tarnished reputation rather than financial motivation. “I’m not going to die about it, but I want to die in dignity, and I want them to say I was not a thief in FIFA,” he is quoted as saying.
Weltwoche has seen correspondence between Blatter and Infantino from January. Blatter accused FIFA of smearing his character by claiming in 2016 that he had awarded himself unjust bonus payments. “The information and the various communiqués put about by FIFA concerning my income are divorced from reality, and consequently, are defamatory,” he wrote.
FIFA told the NYT that Blatter’s watches had already been returned to him and insisted that the former president has received all the pension payments that he is entitled to. The spokesperson said FIFA would defend itself if Blatter files a lawsuit.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Blatter accused of rigging millions in suspect bonuses
This content was published on
Law firm Quinn Emanuel, hired by FIFA to investigate alleged corruption within world football’s governing body, released on Friday details of apparent fiduciary malpractice. The document claims that contracts were drawn up to inflate salaries, bonuses and severance clauses. Besides Blatter, who is currently serving a six-year ban from all football activities, the payments are…
This content was published on
On Wednesday, the appeals body announced that it had “partially upheld the decision made by the ethics committee” and had decided to reduce Blatter and Platini’s bans from eight to six years. It said the ethics committee had not taken certain mitigating circumstances into account before its verdict of an eight-year ban and therefore recommended…
FIFA ethics panel suspends Blatter and Platini for 90 days
This content was published on
Blatter’s suspension by the world football body’s independent ethics committee all but ends the Swiss national’s long and tightfisted reign over world football’s governing body. Acting in the wake of Swiss prosecutors announcing they are examining Blatter on suspicion of corruption, the ethics committee also handed a 90-day suspension to Blatter’s possible successor, UEFA chief…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.