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Former UEFA president: FIFA didn't know about Platini's €2-million payment

Eric Gaillard / Reuters

Former UEFA boss Lennart Johansson says FIFA's executive committee was never informed about any €2-million deal between Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini.

Last week, Blatter and Platini were provisionally suspended from all football activities for 90 days, with an alleged "disloyal payment" in 2011 the focus of an ongoing Swiss investigation.

Neither has admitted to any wrongdoing, and Platini has played down the fact that it took nine years for FIFA to pay the sum in full. He says he did work as a consultant for world football's governing body between 1999 and 2002.

Related: FIFA provisionally suspends Blatter, Platini, and Valcke for 90 days

But Johansson, who served as UEFA president from 1990 to 2007 and also sat on the FIFA executive committee, says neither governing body knew at the time about the transaction between the two.

"This is quite a lot of money, not a small amount. I have only learnt through the media that Platini claims that he has a contract with FIFA," the 85-year-old told the website Inside World Football, as reported by Reuters.

Despite ceding his position to Platini, Johansson attended conventions in an honorary role and heard nothing about the payment.

"I would have expected this payment to be reported to UEFA," the Swede said. "Platini should have mentioned it to the executive. I would have done so. I would have said to the executive, 'I have a contract with Blatter which you may criticise. But this is the truth, this is the money I received and you should know about it.'"

FIFA will convene on Oct. 20 to discuss whether to delay its impending presidential election, which is set for Feb. 26.

Platini, who announced earlier this year that he would run for the presidency, will not be able to attend the emergency meeting.

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