Blatter gets FIFA birthday snub, surprised by FFF office search

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter suffered the ignominy of being left off the organisation’s list of footballing birthdays on Thursday.

The Swiss, celebrating his 80th birthday, was a notable absentee from FIFA’s daily list despite having spent more than 40 years working for the game’s governing body.

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic and veteran striker Samuel Eto’o were among those to be recognised for March 10 birthdays.

Blatter stepped down as president last year and was subsequently banned from football for six years following an investigation into an alleged “disloyal payment” made to former UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011.

Blatter, who was succeeded as FIFA president by Gianni Infantino last month, has always denied any wrongdoing and is appealing his sanction at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

And he admitted his disappointment at a lack of recognition for his services at FIFA in a Swiss newspaper.

Blatter, who watched the election to find his replacement at home with his daughter, said: “I had expected that at least something about my work would have been said by the congress leader at the beginning or the end.

“‘Not even a ciao, ciao,’ wrote a journalist aptly. Yes, two candidates mentioned me – one who withdrew Tokyo Sexwale and another, Jerome Champagne, who had few votes.

“My only wish – if my business (appeal) is done – is that I am recognised at the next congress or the one after that or the congress in 20 years. How I go down in history, time has to decide.”

Meanwhile, Blatter said he was shocked to learn of a search of the French Football Federation (FFF) offices in relation to criminal proceedings against him.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) had searched the FFF offices in connection with the criminal proceedings against Blatter after opening an investigation into the Swiss in September last year on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and – alternatively – misappropriation following a suspected payment of CHF 2million to ex-UEFA president Platini.

Both Blatter and Platini have since been banned from all football-related activities, although the former is also facing criminal charges.

As part of that investigation, the French Financial Prosecution Office searched the FFF’s offices in Paris on Tuesday, with documents relating to the suspected payment from Blatter to Platini in 2011 seized.

Blatter said he was surprised that the authorities felt it was necessary to search FFF offices.

“I am very surprised at this for the simple reason that the 2 million Swiss francs was paid to FIFA Michel Platini as part of an oral contract existed between Michel Platini and I have not been paid or the FFF or UEFA but on a private account of Michel Platini in a Swiss bank,” he said.

Despite the search, the OAG confirmed that Platini’s status in the proceedings had not changed.