Criminal proceedings opened against Sepp Blatter by Swiss authorities

The attorney general's office have issued a statement saying it had opened "criminal proceedings" against Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Blatter is being investigated by Swiss investigators "on suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as - alternatively - on suspicion of misappropriation". Earlier, Fifa cancelled a press conference at its Zurich headquarters.

The case involves a contract Blatter allegedly signed that saw indicted former Fifa member, Jack Warner, assigned control of valuable World Cup TV rights. These new charges accuse the embattled president of violating his fiduciary duty to Fifa in his role as president by signing the contract in 2005, which is called “unfavorable to FIFA.”

Blatter is suspected of making a “disloyal payment” of two million Swiss francs to UEFA president Michel Platini, under the charges.

Swiss prosecutors interrogated Blatter after an executive committee meeting in Zurich today, and also searched his office and seized data.

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