Sepp Blatter criticises media's attempt to 'kill' him amid FIFA corruption probe

Sepp Blatter continues to suffer from a martyr complex.

In an interview with BFM TV, Blatter, who is appealing his eight-year ban from all football-related activities, denounced what he perceives as an effort from the media to "kill" him, suggesting that he was never given a presumption of innocence.

FIFA's Ethics Committee banned Blatter from all football-related activities after the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland opened criminal proceedings against him in September, suspecting him of making a "disloyal payment" valued at CHF 2 million (£1.35 million, €2 million) to Michel Platini at FIFA's expense in February 2011.

"What I regret is the way the media moved in to kill me from the get-go," Blatter said, according to the Guardian. "This condemnation of the FIFA president by the media when I was not responsible for the actions of the members of the Executive Committee since I am not the one who elected them ... My regret is, maybe, that we didn't take the necessary measures to avoid having members of the FIFA Executive Committee who hadn't passed the integrity test."

Blatter also revealed that he feels abandoned by his former colleagues, saying that he doesn't "have any friends left."

"This departure that they're preparing for me, it's very sad, very sad," Blatter said. "You suddenly find yourself in a situation where you don't have the means to defend yourself and you don't have any friends left. You are isolated, you are alone even if, during this whole operation, I had a great footballer, (the also-suspended UEFA president) Michel Platini by my side."

Blatter returned to FIFA's headquarters on Tuesday to kick off his appeal with the governing body's Appeal Committee.