Sepp Blatter insists he has done nothing illegal and will remain as FIFA president

Sepp Blatter has said he will remain as president of FIFA until February, reiterating that "he has done nothing illegal or improper" after criminal proceedings were opened against him by the Swiss Attorney General.

Speaking at a meeting of staff at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Blatter told them he would not answer any more questions on the criminal proceedings that were brought against him last Friday.

Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.

He is also suspected of "a disloyal payment" of £1.35m to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011. Blatter also insisted on Monday that this payment was legitimate.

A statement from Blatter's lawyer said: "President Blatter spoke to FIFA staff today and informed the staff that he was cooperating with the authorities, reiterated that he had done nothing illegal or improper, and stated that he would remain as president of FIFA.

"On the Platini matter, president Blatter on Friday shared with the Swiss authorities the fact that Mr Platini had a valuable employment relationship with FIFA serving as an advisor to the president, beginning in 1998.

"He explained to the prosecutors that the payments were valid compensation and nothing more, and were properly accounted for within FIFA, including the withholding of social security contributions.

"Because of the continuing investigation President Blatter will answer no further questions at this time."

The FIFA president, 79, returned to work on Monday having been interrogated by Swiss investigators in recent days.

Both Blatter and Platini, who has also insisted the payment had been above board and declared to the Swiss authorities, are being investigated by FIFA's ethics committee following the opening of the proceedings against the FIFA president. 

Blatter is due to hand over power in February when an emergency election is held, triggered and announced by the president himself after days of arrests of senior officials back in May, just four days after he was re-elected for a fifth term in power.