Sepp Blatter Says Michel Platini Payment Was "Gentleman's Agreement"

Sepp Blatter struck a "gentleman's agreement" with Michel Platini to pay him a million Swiss francs ($1.02 million) a year as an adviser, the former world football chief told their trial on Thursday. The French football legend had jokingly asked Blatter for a million, without specifying the currency, and the then-FIFA president agreed, with part of the money -- outside of the contract they signed -- to be paid "later", Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court heard.

Blatter and Platini are being tried over a two-million-Swiss-franc payment in 2011 to the former France captain, who by that time was in charge of European football's governing body UEFA.

The trial in the southern city of Bellinzona -- following an investigation that began in 2015 and lasted six years -- opened on Wednesday.

Thursday's first day of evidence saw the trial hear directly from Blatter and Platini -- at points, to the court's astonishment -- about the casual nature behind the scenes at the pinnacle of world football.

Platini was employed as an adviser to Blatter between 1998 and 2002. They signed a contract in 1999 for an annual remuneration of 300,000 Swiss francs, which was paid in full by FIFA.

Platini, 66, is regarded among world football's greatest-ever players. He won the Ballon d'Or, considered the most prestigious individual award, three times in the mid-1980s.

Blatter, now 86, joined FIFA in 1975 and became the president of world football's governing body in 1998.

Blatter told the court he turned to Platini for advice, which involved political trips, reforming the international calendar and helping the national federations financially.

- 'I want a million' - "When I was elected as president of FIFA, we had a bad record. But I thought that a