Soccer chief Blatter says Platini payment followed 'gentleman's agreement'

BELLINZONA, Switzerland : Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter denied approving fraudulent payments to French football legend Michel Platini, telling a Swiss court on Thursday that a cash transfer followed a "gentleman's agreement" between the pair.

Swiss prosecutors accuse the two men, once among football's most powerful figures, of illegally arranging the 2 million Swiss franc ($2.04 million) payment in 2011. Blatter and Platini both deny the charges.

Blatter gave testimony to the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona after being excused on health grounds on Wednesday.

The 86-year-old said he had asked Platini to be his advisor after the Swiss official was elected FIFA president for the first time in 1998.

Platini asked to be paid 1 million francs per year but Blatter told the Frenchman that FIFA could not afford such a salary.

Instead they agreed Platini, one of the greatest players of his generation, would be paid 300,000 francs per year, with the outstanding cash to be paid at a later date.

"I knew when we started with Michel Platini that is not the total, and we would look at it later," Blatter said referring to the agreed 300,000 francs salary for the job of technical consultant.

Sealed with a handshake, Blatter said the arrangement was a so-called "gentleman's agreement".

"It was an agreement between two sportsmen," Blatter said. "I found nothing wrong with that."

Platini signed a written contract with FIFA in 1999, but it specified only a salary of 300,000 francs, with no mention of the extra payments.

The former French national team captain said he trusted Blatter and believed he would be paid in full eventually.

"I trusted the president, and knew he would pay me one day." Platini told the court.

FIFA's fragile financial