FIFA’s financial reports, reviewed by AFP on Wednesday (Sep 30), raised questions about claims from Michel Platini that a payment he received from the organisation was delayed for nearly a decade due to financial constraints.

File photo of UEFA President Michel Platini during a press conference prior to the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich. (AFP PHOTO/FABRICE COFFRINI)

Platini has been questioned by Swiss prosecutors in connection with a two-million Swiss francs (US$2 million) payment he received from FIFA in 2011. The payment is central to a criminal investigation by the Swiss attorney general targeting FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Both Blatter and Platini insist the payment was in exchange for consulting work done by the former French star between 1998 and 2002.

“Mr. Blatter informed me when I started my role as his advisor that it was not initially possible to pay the totality of my salary because of FIFA’s financial situation at that time,” Platini told AFP in an interview.

According to a financial report published in April 2003 and available on FIFA’s website, world football’s governing body had “a surplus of 115 million Swiss francs” at the close of the four-year cycle from 1999-2002.

But, in the same report, FIFA reported an expected total loss of 134 million Swiss francs in May of 2002, because of the bankruptcy scandal that hit International Sports and Leisure (ISL), a Swiss media and marketing firm in partnership with FIFA through the late 1990s.

FIFA earns significant revenue from the World Cup, and so the upturn in its financial fortunes after May of 2002 may have been linked to income from the tournament. A source who was familiar with FIFA’s finances at the time, but requested anonymity, said the organisation had enough money to pay Platini.

“Even though FIFA works on a four-year cycle, with the bulk of the revenue falling in the fourth year – in this case, the year of the 2002 World Cup – the financial situation was strong enough to handle such a payment,” the source told AFP.

“FIFA didn’t have any financial problems,” added the source. Platini told AFP that he “never doubted” he would be paid in full.

“I even put the matter to the side for a while, before finally requesting that the outstanding balance was paid in 2011.”

Asked to comment on how Platini’s explanation – which was similar to Blatter’s – meshed with its apparent financial health, a FIFA spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Source VIR

UEFA chief Michel Platini is “still determined” to run for the FIFA presidency as successor to Sepp Blatter in next February’s elections, despite “doubts” about his integrity, he told AFP on Tuesday (Sep 29).

“I am still determined to present myself as a candidate for the FIFA Presidency so I can introduce the governance reforms that are necessary to restore the order and credibility to world football,” the Frenchman said.

But dismissing speculation that he had received “disloyal” payments from Blatter, Platini said his conscience was clear. “There is no doubt about my integrity. I have done nothing wrong. That is why I have made myself fully available to cooperate with the relevant bodies and authorities to clarify whatever may be necessary,” he added.

On a day which saw FIFA ban former vice-president Jack Warner for life and the Swiss justice ministry approved the extradition of former Costa Rican federation boss Eduardo Li to the United States, where he faces a range of charges linked to corruption, Platini spoke to AFP about recent events which saw him implicated in a Swiss investigation.

He defended receiving a two million Swiss franc (US$2 million) payment from the world body in 2011 for work completed nearly a decade earlier. “I was employed by FIFA as a special advisor to President Sepp Blatter, working on various matters related to football, such as the international football calendar. It was a full-time job,” Platini said.

“Like I explained to the Swiss authorities, I received only part of the agreed salary between 1998 to 2002. This occurred because, at the time, FIFA informed me that they would not be able to pay me the total agreed amount. Of course all the moneys received at the time were declared to the pertinent authorities.”

Source AFP

Robert Lewandowski’s phenomenal goal-scoring run continued on Tuesday with a hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s 5-0 mauling as Dinamo Zagreb’s 45-match unbeaten run was halted in emphatic fashion.

Dinamo Zagreb’s Croatian midfielder Arijan Ademi fouls Bayern Munich’s French striker Kingsley Roman during the Group F, first-leg UEFA Champions League football match in Munich. (AFP PHOTO/GUENTER SCHIFFMANN)

Lewandowski again ran riot in the Champions League home match as Mario Goetze and Douglas Costa also netted to put Bayern top of Group F following their 3-0 win at Olympiakos a fortnight ago before facing Arsenal away in three weeks.

“We played in a very concentrated fashion from the start and when you take your goal chances, the game was over after 30 minutes,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

The Poland hot-shot has now scored 10 goals in his last three games after netting five in just nine spectacular minutes of Bayern’s 5-1 hammering of Wolfsburg last Tuesday before claiming two more in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Mainz.

“I am happy to get three more goals, but the main thing is that we won 5-0,” said Lewandowski. “It doesn’t matter how many goals I score as long as we keep picking up points. The whole team played well, which creates opportunities for me.”

But with 10 goals in eight days, Lewandowski is in incredible form. “He’s had an unbelievable week behind him,” admitted Lahm, who joked that he expects at least three goals from Lewandowski per game from now on.

The thrashing of Zagreb left Bayern three points clear of second-placed Olympiakos in the table following their shock 3-2 win over Arsenal in London.

This was Zagreb’s heaviest away defeat in Europe as the five-goal difference superseded their 6-2 loss at Real Madrid in the group stages four years ago. Lewandowski now has 17 goals for club and country as Bayern enjoyed an easy win.

Zagreb’s performance made a mockery of their 10-month unbeaten run in all competitions as they only created their first clear shot on goal with an hour gone after Bayern had raced into a 4-0 lead at the break.

Costa opened the floodgate on 13 minutes by skipping past a defender to beat Zagreb goalkeeper Eduardo at the near post.

The second followed on 21 minutes when Dinamo’s 18-year-old centre-back Filip Benkovic slipped after heading the ball down, Thiago Alcantara pounced on the error and his pass found Lewandowski in acres of space.

Eduardo’s night went from bad to worse when he failed to deal with Goetze’s weak shot after an exchange of passes with Kingsley Coman and the ball bobbled over the line to the 33-year-old’s dismay on 25 minutes.

Lewandowski claimed his second on 28 minutes when he met Costa’s cross and his shot cannoned off the underside of the bar to bounce over the line with the Dinamo defence cut to ribbons.

Lewandowski saved his best goal of the night to claim his hat-trick. Costa showed off his dazzling skills with a deft flick to Thiago, who put Lewandowski in behind the defence and the Poland striker scooped the ball over the hapless Eduardo on 55 minutes.

Only a good save from the Portugal national goalkeeper prevented Lewandowski getting his fourth when he dived at the striker’s feet on 75 minutes.

Shortly after the Croatian double champions had their first corner as they found themselves completely outgunned as Bayern fired in 27 shots on goal to just seven in reply as Lewandowski fired wide with two clear chances.

Champions League group match results:

At Barcelona

Barcelona (ESP) 2 Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 1

At Barysaw

BATE Borisov (BLR) 3 AS Roma (ITA) 2

At Munich

Bayern Munich (GER) 5 Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 0

At London

Arsenal (ENG) 2 Olympiakos (GRE) 3

At Porto

Porto (POR) 2 Chelsea (ENG) 1

At Tel-Aviv

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) 0 Dynamo Kiev (UKR) 2

At St Petersburg

Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) 2 Gent (BEL) 1

At Lyon

Lyon (FRA) 0 Valencia (ESP) 1

Source AFP

FIFA’s embattled president Sepp Blatter insisted on Monday (Sep 28) that he will not stand down despite being the target of a Swiss criminal investigation for mismanagement.

File photo taken on May 29, 2015, shows FIFA President Sepp Blatter (L) shaking hands with UEFA President Michel Platini after being re-elected following a vote to decide on the FIFA presidency in Zurich. (AFP PHOTO/MICHAEL BUHOLZER)

Michel Platini, the powerful head of the European UEFA confederation who has been implicated in the investigation, also defended a two million Swiss franc (US$2 million) payment from the world body. Blatter, 79, denied any “wrongdoing” in a meeting at FIFA headquarters.

“President Blatter spoke to FIFA staff today and informed the staff that he was cooperating with the authorities, reiterated that he had done nothing illegal or improper and stated that he would remain as president of FIFA,” said the statement by his US-based lawyer Richard Cullen.

Swiss prosecutors say Blatter is the target of a probe into “criminal mismanagement” at FIFA, focusing on a 2005 television rights sale to the Caribbean Football Union and the Platini payment. French football legend Platini has been questioned by Swiss investigators, but has not been named as a suspect.

The inquiry sent fresh shocks through world football, which has descended deeper into crisis since May, when the US justice department indicted 14 people over bribery in football deals worth more than US$150 million dating back to 1991.

Four days after winning a fifth term as president on May 30, Blatter dramatically announced that he would stand down when a new election is held in February. But media reports said FIFA’s independent ethics committee was about to launch an inquiry which could force the suspension of Blatter and Platini.

The Swiss attorney general, in announcing the new probe, said the two-million Swiss franc (US$2.05 million) payment made in 2011 to Platini may have been illegal. Platini defended the transaction on Monday, as the Frenchman hopes to separate himself from the stench surrounding FIFA while keeping his presidency bid on track.

Legitimate payment?

Both Blatter and Platini have said the former French star did work for FIFA from 1998 to 2002. Swiss investigators have noted that compensation for the work was not made until a decade later and suggested the payment may have been “disloyal” to FIFA, meaning it amounted to an illegal use of the body’s funds.

In a meeting with Swiss investigators on Friday, Blatter said the payments to Platini were “valid compensation and nothing more and were properly accounted for within FIFA”, according to Cullen, a defence lawyer based in the US state of Virginia.

In a statement, Platini insisted the payment had been “fully declared by me to the authorities, in accordance with Swiss law”.

Platini had been favourite to succeed Blatter at the special election called for February. But FIFA insiders and former officials have suggested that being mentioned in Swiss case could a major blow to his candidacy.

“I am aware that these events may harm my image and my reputation,” Platini said, voicing eagerness to clear up any “misunderstandings.”

Ethics committee’s probe?

The Swiss investigation could take months to develop, but some have said that Blatter’s more immediate problem is FIFA’s own ethics committee, which could force him out at any time.

A spokesman for the committee told AFP at the weekend that the panel initiates a probe “if there is an initial suspicion”, a bar which almost certainly has been cleared with respect to Blatter.

An ethics committee investigation would not automatically lead to Blatter’s removal, but some believe it would. “I expect Blatter to be suspended. There’s no choice,” said Guido Tognoni, a former FIFA staffer andBlatter advisor. “FIFA is in such trouble.”

Aside from an open criminal file against its president, nine FIFA officials have been charged in the United States.

Blatter’s former right-hand man, secretary general Jerome Valcke was suspended last week over allegations that he was aware of a black market ticket scheme surrounding the 2014 World Cup.

Meanwhile, with trust in FIFA falling to new lows, there have been calls for an outsider with a clean record to be named interim president. If Blatter is suspended, FIFA’s senior vice president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, head of the Confederation of African Football, would take over. But Hayatou has been linked to past graft allegations.

Source AFP