Blatter ‘under medical evaluation’ – spokesman

GENEVA, Switzerland – Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been placed under medical observation for stress, a spokesman told AFP on Friday.

Blatter, long the most powerful man in football, suffered a “medical incident” last weekend and had been placed under medical observation for 10 days, a Swiss radio station reported.

Contacted by AFP, Blatter’s spokesman Klaus Stoehlker confirmed that “President Blatter is under medical evaluation” and that it was for “stress” because of the pressure he has faced in recent weeks.

“He is not in hospital, but at home and hopes to be back end of next week,” he wrote in an email.

“There is no illness but a medical evaluation. Under these circumstances he is fine,” the spokesman added.

Blatter’s daughter Corinne told the Blick daily that her father had been forced to cancel all of his appointments through November 15. 

Blatter has been at the center of controversy since a corruption storm hit FIFA just ahead of his reelection to a 5th term in May. Blatter said days later he would stand down.

But last month, Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini were suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee, as Swiss authorities conduct a criminal investigation into alleged criminal mismanagement at the scandal-tainted world governing body.

Before he was suspended, Blatter, who has been in charge of FIFA since 1998, had said he would step down on February 26, when a FIFA congress elects a new president. – Rappler.com