Michel Platini faces an investigation by FIFA's ethics committee, along with Sepp Blatter ©Getty Images

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are understood to be under investigation by FIFA's in-house ethics committee after the decision to launch criminal proceedings against the organisation's outgoing President. 

Blatter, who is due to stand down as head of football's scandal hit governing body in February, is under investigation by the Swiss Attorney General on "suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as – alternatively – on suspicion of misappropriation".

He is suspected of making a "disloyal payment" of CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) in February 2011 to UEFA President Platini, who has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed Blatter.

The payment was allegedly at the expense of FIFA, which was supposedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002.

The FIFA corruption scandal engulfed two of football's highest profile names on Friday
The FIFA corruption scandal engulfed two of football's highest profile names on Friday ©Getty Images

Platini denies wrongdoing but the nine year delay in payment hasn't been explained.

The Frenchman was interviewed by the Attorney General as a witness.

Blatter was also accused on Friday of signing a contract on September 12, 2005 with the Caribbean Football Union – headed at the time by another accused man Jack Warner – and that this arrangement was "unfavourable" for FIFA.

He also denies any wrongdoing.

The ethics committee has the power to issue suspensions and if this happened to Platini, it is difficult to see how he could stand in the Presidential race.

Both men are now set to be interviewed by the committee in the coming days.

Blatter announced his decision to stand down as FIFA President in June, following a series of arrests of high-level FIFA officials in Zurich.

Nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives have been indicted in the United States and charged with offences including money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.

Meanwhile, a separate Swiss investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively is also taking place.



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