FIFA publishes financial figures

The former FIFA leader hails from the Swiss canton of Valais. Keystone

World football governing body FIFA has revealed that former president Sepp Blatter earned CHF 3.6 million in 2015 ($3.7 million) – an average of over CHF 295,000 per month. The figures were released for the first time in the organisation’s 2015 financial and governance report on Thursday.

Neither salary data for Blatter prior to 2015, nor figures for current president Gianni Infantino, were provided.

The report stated that FIFA suffered a $122 million loss in 2015 – its first deficit since 2002. The lion’s share of that loss can be attributed to costs incurred during the now infamous corruption scandal surrounding Blatter and former Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Michel Platini.

FIFA announced Thursday that despite its losses, the organisation’s “healthy reserves have allowed it to weather the storm”. It said that organisational reforms will “help to restore trust with commercial partners and achieve budget goals for the 2015-2018 cycle, which have been adjusted to reflect the prioritise set by FIFA president Gianni Infantino”.

“With the recently approved reforms, I believe that we have turned a corner and that FIFA is poised to emerge stronger than ever,” said Infantino in a statement. “During my presidency, I pledge to make this happen and to lead FIFA to a brighter and more sustainable future so that we can all return our full focus to football.”

Reforms approved at FIFA’s Extraordinary Congress in February include greater transparency in disclosing the compensation of key FIFA management personnel.

The revised budget for the 2015-2018 season has been increased from $900 million to $1.4 billion, to reflect a greater focus on “developing football around the world”.  The budget will be submitted for ratification to the FIFA Congress in Mexico City in May.

Valcke under investigation

Later on Thursday, the Office of the Attorney General announced it has opened criminal proceedings against former FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The Attorney General’s Office stated that Valcke, from France, is suspected of “criminal mismanagement” relating to the corruption investigation by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which led to Valcke being banned from the football organisation for 12 years in February.

No arrests have yet been made, and Valcke is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.