Football

Football

Sepp Blatter says he will not give up without fight

11 October 2015 04:10 (UTC +04:00)

"I’m a fighter," Blatter said. "They may destroy me, but they cannot destroy my life’s work."

The full interview with the FIFA president will be published on Sunday.

Blatter, UEFA chief Michel Platini and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke have been provisionally suspended for 90 days by the ruling football body's ethics committee. The FIFA ethics committee said the ban could be extended but by no more than 45 days.

FIFA confirmed Blatter’s suspension and said he was relieved of all his duties as FIFA President following the ethics committee’s decision. "Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organization’s behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative," FIFA said.

Issa Hayatou will serve as the organization’s acting president, FIFA added.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland opened criminal proceedings against the FIFA President in late September "on suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as - alternatively - on suspicion of misappropriation."

Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of 2 million Swiss francs to Platini in February 2011, the OAG said.