Sepp Blatter is in imminent danger of being suspended as FIFA President by the governing body's ethics committee, which would bring his reign to an early end.

Sepp Blatter was facing being ousted as Fifa president five months early on Saturday following the launch of criminal proceedings against him.

Telegraph Sport understands Blatter is in imminent danger of being suspended by the governing body’s ethics committee after prosecutors opened a case against the 79-year-old over payments made to Michel Platini and Jack Warner.

Platini’s hopes of succeeding Blatter were also under severe threat, despite his insistence yesterday that £1.3m he was given by his former mentor had been above board.

Blatter remained in charge of Fifa on Friday night afterbeing interrogated by Swiss prosecutors investigating alleged corruption at the organisation. He denies any wrongdoing.

A source close to Blatter on Saturday toldTelegraph Sport the Fifa president would not be resigning earlier than planned following Friday’s drama.

The Swiss was said to be “extremely confident” of being exonerated over payments he is adamant were legitimate.

The one to Platini was made in 2011 for what prosecutors allege were services carried out between 1999 and 2002.

Blatter was said to feel the nine-year delay in Platini invoicing Fifa for consultancy work for the Swiss was something for the Uefa president to explain.

Unlike his former colleagues indicted on fraud charges in the United States and his right-hand man, Jerome Valcke –who has become engulfed by ticket-touting claims– he was not suspended by Fifa or its ethics committee.

However, that could change in the coming days, whichare expected to see ethics investigators be given access to evidence currently held by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland.

Blatter is also set to be interrogated by those same investigators, who it is understood had already been looking into his conduct.

A spokesman for the ethics committee toldTelegraph Sport: “It is never about the name or the function of the certain person whether there will be an investigation opened or not.

“If there are facts on the table then the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee will open a pre-investigation, which may lead to initial suspicion.

“Initial suspicion is the starting point for formal proceedings.”
Were Blatter to be suspended, it would effectively end his career as Fifa president.

He had already vowed to step down in February following the corruption scandal that engulfed the governing body days before his re-election in May.

Should he be forced out sooner, he would be replaced in the interim by his senior vice-president, Issa Hayatou, who has a chequered past of his own.

Platini had been the hot favourite to succeed him but Friday’s revelations threw his candidacy into doubt.

It is understood allegations he received a “disloyal payment” from Blatter are currently insufficient for him to be suspended by Fifa’s ethics committee.

It is also not enough for him to fall foul of an integrity check all presidential candidates are required to undergo once the deadline for nominations to succeedBlatter closes on October 26.

However, the coming days could also witness developments that make him ineligible to stand.

His heavyweight backers, which include the Football Association, must therefore decide whether to risk standing by him or to put forward another candidate.

The danger of not doing so is that February’s election ends up being contested by people they do not wish to support.

The man currently standing to benefit most from Platini’s plight is former Fifa vice-president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who is standing again after losing to Blatter in May.

He said on Saturday: “The need for new leadership that can restore the credibility of Fifa has never been more apparent. We cannot change the past, but we can have a future where Fifa member associations are able to focus on football rather than worrying about the next scandal or criminal investigation involving Fifa leadership.“

We have to accept that changing Fifa is not a matter of choice; it has already changed, shaken to its very core by the scandals that have decimated our governing body and cast a cloud over the entire organisation.

“We have a duty to use our expertise, our experience, and our knowledge to lift that cloud by taking action to demonstrate that Fifa is worthy of the sport it oversees on behalf of the players, the fans and the millions of young boys and girls who can benefit from it.“

Change, as I have always said, is a process. It is not an event. The process of change at Fifa began in May.

We have an opportunity in February to carry that momentum forward. We must now come together and work to restore Fifa’s credibility and reputation by bringing about the change that is so clearly needed.

"I have heard from many member associations over the last 24 hours, and what I have heard gives me confidence that, working together, we can emerge from this stronger.”

The life and times of Sepp Blatter

Sepp Blatter has shocked the world of football by standing down as Fifa President. We look at how he rose to power and the controversies which damaged his reputation.

10 March 1936

Sepp Blatter was born in Visp, Canton Valais, Switzerland and studied at the University of Lausanne in 1959 where he obtained a degree in business and economics.

1958-1970

Blatter spent his years prior to football in various posts such as head of public relations of the Valaisan Tourist Board in Switzerland. He was also general secretary of the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. He was also director of sports timing and relations of watch manufacturer Longines.

1970-1975

Blapper was involved in the organisation of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany and the 1976 Games held in Montreal.

1975

Blatter joins Fifa, initially as technical director.

1981

Blatter is appointed general secretary of Fifa –a position he holds until 1998.

8 June 1998

Blatter is elected as Fifa President on 8 June 1998, succeeding Joao Havelange at the 51st Congress. Lennart Johansson had been considered the favourite but the first round of voting did not produce a clear winner. Blatter received 111 votes to Johansson’s 80, but Johansson conceded victory.

2002 election

Blatter’s candidacy is marked with rumours of financial irregularities and backroom dealings – culminating with direct accusations of bribery with claims that the Somali Football Federation and Confederation of African Football were both offered $100,000 to vote for Blatter in 1998.

2004

Blatter is labelled sexist after saying that women footballers should play in “tighter shorts”. These were his actual words: “Let the women play in more feminine clothes like theydo in volleyball. They could, for example, have tighter shorts... Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they alreadyhave some different rules to men - such as playing with a lighter ball."

2006 World Cup

Blatter lambasts referee Valentin Ivanov for issuing 16 yellow cards and four red cards during Portugual’s second-round clash with Holland. Blatter said the ref should’ve given himself a yellow card for his performance. He offered to apologise for his outspoken words, but never did so.

July 2008

Blatter said of Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer saga from Manchester United to Real Madrid: “I think in football, there's too much modern slavery, in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere."

February 2010

Blatter said of John Terry’s alleged affair with a Chelsea team-mate’s wife. “Listen, this is a special approach in the Anglo-Saxon countries. If this had happened in let's say Latin countries then I think he would have been applauded.”

Awarding of 2018 World Cup – December 2010

Blatter calls England “bad losers” after losing out to Russia in their bid to stage the 2018 World Cup after receiving just two votes.

Awarding of 2022 World Cup

Blatter reveals Qatar will controversially stage the 2022 World Cup. Due to the searing conditions, question marks are immediately raised over the players’ and fans’ wellbeing. The illegality of homosexuality also causes Blatter to joke that “I would say they (gay fans) should refrain from any sexual activities”.

Blatter also unleashes a tirade against the “racist” British media and what he branded a ploy to “destroy” Fifa after further evidence emerges over alleged corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

2011 Fifa presidential election

Blatter’s main rival to steal his crown, Mohammed bin Hammam withdraws from thepresidential race just before the vote over allegations he offered $40,000 in bribes to Caribbean delegates in return for supporting his campaign. The Fifa ethics committee investigating bribery claims against Bin Hammam and CONFACAF president Jack Warner announce Blatter will not face an investigation into claims he knew of the bribery and did nothing about it. With there being no other nominations, Blatter runs opposed and is re-elected for a fourth term, winning 186 of the 203 votes.

2012

In April the Council of Europe publish a report which states that it would be “difficult to imagine” that Blatter would have been unaware of “significant sums” paid to unnamed Fifa officials by ISSM/ISL in connection with lucrative contracts for World Cup television rights.

2013 Fifa Ethics Committee Investigation

On 29 April, 2013 Fifa's Ethics Committee concludes its investigation into allegations of illegal payments to Fifa officials from the organisation’s former marketing partner ISL which went bankrupt in 2001 and publishes itsreport. Blatter is cleared of any misconduct but his predecessor Joao Havelange resigns as Fifa’s honorary president over his part in the scandal.

27 May 2015

Fourteen Fifa exeutives and officials are arrested over “rampant and systemic” corruption allegations in the lead up to the 65th Fifa Congress in Zurich. Blatter is not oneof those arrested, but there are numerous calls for him to quit, including from Uefa president Michel Platini.

29 May 2015

Blatter goes ahead with the presidential election and wins a fifth consecutive term. Blatter received 133 votes to his opponent Prince Ali bin Hussein’s 73. Prince Ali with draws before a second round of voting is called. He says in his winning speech that the Fifa committee needs “ladies” and ends by chanting “Let’s go, Fifa”.

2 June 2015

Fifa abruptly calls a press conference at their Zurich headquarters where Blatter announces his resignation with an extraordinary congress scheduled “as soon as possible” to elect his successor.

26 June 2015

Swiss newspaper Blick claims that Blatter says he has not in fact resigned despite his decision earlier in the month. "I did not resign, Iput myself and my office in the hands of the Fifa congress", Blatter was reported to have said. Rumours gather that Blatter is considering standing for re-election as president.

25 September 2015

Swiss prosecutors open criminal proceedings against FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The Swiss attorney general's office issue a statement saying Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...President.html

Amazing mr. Blatter