Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will discover
whether they are to face lengthy bans from football today when the FIFA
ethics committee announces its judgement on allegations of corruption
against them.
Both men say the payment, which is also the subject of a Swiss criminal investigation, was for consultancy work carried out by Platini for Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
It was not made until February 2011 however, nine years after the work ended, and just three months before a FIFA Presidential election in which Platini, then UEFA president, supported Blatter.
According to Platini's lawyers, the investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee has recommended that both men face bans of around seven years, rising to life if the adjudicatory chamber, chaired by German judge Hans Joachim Eckert, views the payment as corrupt.
Judge Eckert held personal hearings for both men at FIFA headquarters in Zurich last week.
Blatter attended his for around eight hours on Thursday. Platini boycotted his hearing on Friday, describing it as a farce, but his lawyers argued his case for more than nine hours.
If found guilty, both can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with Platini already committed to clearing his name in order that he can stand in the FIFA presidential election in February.
Platini claims that he agreed a CHF1m a-year contract with Blatter but was paid only half of that amount at the time, because FIFA was in financial trouble.
He says he then forgot to invoice for the balance until nine years later.
Blatter says he agreed the deal in a verbal contract and that the payment was legitimate.
The deal came to light as part of a criminal investigation by the Swiss attorney general into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
In a statement Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, said: "President Blatter looks forward to a decision in his favour, because the evidence requires it."
"President Blatter behaved properly and certainly did not violate FIFA’s code of ethics. This investigation should be closed and the suspension lifted," Mr Cullen added.
Blatter is scheduled to hold a news conference in Zurich at 10am GMT, around the time the verdicts are expected.
Platini's lawyer said: "Mr Platini is innocent. That is what we have evidenced to the commission today through witness testimony and a number of other evidences. Now we are hoping that the ethics commission will render the law."
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