Football - Blatter claims corruption charge dropped

(FILES) A file photo taken on May 30, 2015 shows FIFA president Sepp Blatter attending a press conference in Zurich after being re-elected during the FIFA Congress. Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter insisted that a $100 million bribery case in which he is reportedly implicated "is over", and pleaded ignorance over alleged corruption by top officials at the scandal-hit world body. Blatter, speaking to Japan's Nikkei business daily December 11, 2015 also protested that he should have been warned before Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials in May, and said he hoped to return to his job in the coming weeks. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI / FILES (AFP Photo/FABRICE COFFRINI)

- FIFA's suspended president Sepp Blatter says the world body's ethics watchdog have dropped corruption charges against him over a suspect $2 million payment. FIFA have investigated the cash payment which Blatter approved to Michel Platini with both men set to discover their fates when the verdicts are delivered later on Monday in Switzerland. Aside from corruption, Blatter faces other charges, including accusations of mismanagement. If found guilty, both men risk receiving lengthy bans. Blatter was interviewed by Swiss daily Blick on Sunday about his eight-hour hearing in front of the chief FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert last week. He told the newspaper: "The judge told me at the start 'the corruption charges have been withdrawn'."

AFP

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