Blatter has ‘small emotional breakdown’

Matt Stead

Sepp Blatter is to remain in hospital until next week after suffering what has been described as a “small emotional breakdown” but his stay will not prevent him from fighting against his provisional ban imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee, his advisor has said.

Blatter, the outgoing FIFA president who is currently suspended for 90 days, was admitted to hospital in Zurich for a check-up due to stress last week and is expected to remain there until the beginning of next week. Sources close to Blatter said he was admitted after “a small emotional breakdown”.

His advisor Klaus Stoehlker told Press Association Sport: “He is in hospital but he has just been told to relax for a few days and he will be back to work on Tuesday.

“His most important message is that he is fully preparing himself to go ahead with his fight against his 90-day suspension. He is deeply convinced that the ethics commission cannot force him out.

“He said to me yesterday ‘I was elected president by the 209 members of the Congress and no commission can put me out of the game’. He’s fighting against this suspension.”

Stoehlker added that Blatter said he had no involvement in the events surrounding Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid which has led to German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach resigning.

Germany’s bid leaders, including Niersbach and Franz Beckenbauer, have been accused of using 6.7million euros to set up a slush fund to buy votes. They have denied any wrongdoing.