Suspended FIFA President Blatter Suffers 'Small Breakdown'
Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter was hospitalized after suffering what has been called both "a nervous shock" and a "small emotional breakdown," BBC News reported. Blatter is expected to make a full recovery and remain hospitalized until next Tuesday, BBC News said.
Blatter, 79, visited the hospital five days ago and underwent stress-related health checks, attorney Richard Cullen said at the time. The lawyer added, "He is fine and expects to be home shortly."
Adviser and friend Klaus Stoehlker said Blatter was in a "good mental and physical state" despite his hospitalization in Switzerland, CNN reported.
FIFA suspended Blatter for 90 days last month in the wake of a corruption scandal. The Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, accusing him of signing a contract "unfavorable" to world football's governing body and making a "disloyal payment" to UEFA President Michel Platini. The FIFA ethics committee found a payment of 2 million Swiss francs that Platini received in 2011 was allegedly made for work purportedly carried out more than nine years before then.
"Swiss criminal proceedings against the president of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened ... on suspicion of criminal mismanagement ... and -- alternatively -- misappropriation," the Swiss attorney general's office said in a statement.
"His most important message is that he is fully preparing himself to go ahead with his fight against his 90-day suspension," Stoehlker told Agence France-Presse. "He is deeply convinced that the ethics commission cannot force him out."
FIFA is expected to conduct an election to determine Blatter's successor in February.
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