Sepp Blatter's lawyers say his payment arrangements at FIFA were above board.
"We look forward to showing FIFA that Mr. Blatter's compensation payments were proper, fair and in line with the heads of major professional sports leagues around the world," said U.S. lawyer Richard Cullen in a statement made on behalf of the former head of world soccer.
Blatter was responding to allegations by FIFA investigators that Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves raises and World Cup bonuses totaling $80 million over their last five years in office.
Three weeks after new FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed that "the crisis is over," the turmoil rocking soccer's world governing body continues.FIFA said Friday that former top officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and World Cup bonuses totaling $80 million over their last five years in office.
The contracted payments appear to break Swiss law, and evidence will be given to American and Swiss federal prosecutors who are investigating corruption implicating the world soccer body, lawyers for FIFA said Friday.
FIFA revealed details of the contracts of its former president Blatter, fired former secretary general Valcke and fired finance director Kattner one day after police raided FIFA to seize evidence for the Swiss investigation.
The raid included searches in the office of Kattner who was fired last week.
Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber opened criminal proceedings against Blatter last September, and against Valcke in March.
Both are suspected of criminal mismanagement of FIFA money. Blatter and Valcke deny wrongdoing but were banned for six and 12 years, respectively, by FIFA's ethics committee.
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