Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been arrested on charges of fraud. He is suspected of transferring two million Swiss francs unlawfully.
He is most known for leading FIFA from 1998 to 2015, a stint in a corruption scandal, and a six-year suspension.
Blatter began his business and public relations career before joining FIFA’s leadership as general secretary in 1981. Sepp significantly improved the FIFA World Cup’s financial performance throughout his tenure as president.
Is Sepp Blatter Arrested Over Fraud Charges?
Mr. Blatter is accused of illegally transferring two million Swiss francs ($2.19 million; £1.6 million) to Mr. Platini in 2011. The payment “harmed Fifa’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,” according to prosecutors.
Mr. Blatter and Mr. Platini will now stand trial in Bellinzona. Both men were banned from football after the investigation was initiated in September 2015.
Mr. Blatter’s 17-year reign as head of Fifa ended, as did then-Uefa president Mr. Platini’s bid to succeed his former mentor.
Mr. Blatter, 85, and Mr. Platini, 66, have both denied any impropriety in the past.
Is Sepp Blatter Married?
Liliane Biner was Blatter’s first wife. Corinne was the couple’s only child, and they split soon after. Blatter married Barbara Käser, the daughter of Blatter’s predecessor as FIFA Secretary General, Helmut Käser, in 1981.
Barbara died after complications after an operation after a ten-year marriage. Blatter started dating Ilona Boguska, a Polish friend of his daughter Corinne, in 1995, and they split up in 2002.
Blatter married Graziella Bianca, a dolphin trainer and a friend of his daughter, for the third time on December 23, 2002. In 2004, their marriage ended in divorce.
Sepp Blatter Net Worth Revealed
A retired Swiss football administrator, Sepp Blatter’s net worth is a staggering $40 million as of 2021.
Sepp Blatter’s annual pay at FIFA was $6 million at the height of his career. He may also earn a lot of money through bonuses.
For example, he reportedly received a $12 million bonus after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He was also allowed to live in a lavish Zurich condominium at FIFA’s cost.