Blatter to cooperate with Swiss probe

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will cooperate with Swiss authorities who have started a criminal investigation against him as part of corruption probes against football's ruling body, his lawyer says.

The lawyer, Richard Cullen, was quoted by The New York Times on Friday as saying that the evidence would show that a contract in question with the Caribbean football union in 2005 was negotiated properly.

"Certainly no mismanagement occurred," Cullen told the Times.

"Mr Blatter is cooperating and we're confident that when the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the documents and the evidence they will see that the contract was properly prepared and negotiated by the appropriate staff members of FIFA who were routinely responsible for such contracts."

The investigation into Blatter also includes an alleged "disloyal payment" of 2 million Swiss francs to the president of European football's governing body, Michel Platini.

The contract is reportedly on the sale of TV rights to the Caribbean and involves former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, whose extradition US authorities are seeking in connection with their own probe.

The FBI, which has a number of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption by football officials, had no comment over the developments in Switzerland.

Kelly Langmesser, an FBI spokesman in New York, told DPA it wouldn't be appropriate for the FBI to comment on an investigation launched by another law enforcement authority.