Platini defends $2 million FIFA fee

UEFA President Michel Platini attends a news conference after the draw for the 2015/2016 UEFA Europa League soccer competition at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco August 28, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - Michel Platini said the two million Swiss francs ($2.1 million) he received from FIFA, a payment which has cast a cloud over his bid to become president of the world football body, was legitimate reward for genuine work.

In an interview with Le Monde newspaper published on Monday, the head of Europe's powerful UEFA football federation reaffirmed his determination to run for the top job and said the money was for work he did for FIFA President Sepp Blatter from 1998 to 2002.

Most of the payment, which is being investigated by the Swiss authorities, was only made in 2011. Both Blatter and Platini have denied any wrongdoing over the affair, just one of the controversies roiling the scandal-plagued FIFA.

Platini provided an extensive account of how that advisory work and related payments were agreed with Blatter, telling the newspaper he had never been good with finances and that he had even short-changed himself in the case in question.

Platini said he had asked for one million francs a year for the work which included reform of the global competitions calendar, work on subsidies for the poorest federations, funding for football projects and a lot of travel with Blatter.

"I've not used lawyers or negotiating agents for ages," the former French soccer star told Le Monde. "It was a man-to-man thing."

Platini said that Blatter had explained that his contract would stipulate an annual sum of 300,000 Swiss francs because that was the top salary rate at FIFA at the time. The rest of the agreed one million a year would be paid at a later date.

Over four years, such a catch-up payment would have totalled 700,000 francs a year, or 2.8 million Swiss francs.