Blatter says payment to Platini that led to suspension was based on ‘gentleman’s agreement’

ZURICH – Sepp Blatter says the payment to Michel Platini that led to them being suspended by FIFA was based on a “gentleman’s agreement.”

Blatter was speaking for the first time about the nature of the transaction since being suspended from his job as FIFA president for 90 days pending the outcome of the full investigation.

Blatter said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RROTV that there was no written contract for the payment to Platini of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) he authorized in 2011.

Blatter says it “was a contract I had with Platini, a gentleman’s agreement and that went through.”

Platini has said the money was unpaid additional salary from his job as Blatter’s adviser between 1998 and 2002 which FIFA could not afford to pay at the time.