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ZURICH (AP) – FIFA filed court claims in Switzerland on Monday against Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini to recover more than $2 million from an irregular payment that led to both men being banned from international soccer.
FIFA said in a statement that any money recovered, plus interest, would be ''fully channelled back into football development, which is where the money should have gone in the first place.''
As FIFA president in 2011, Blatter approved paying Platini's request to receive uncontracted salary for advisory work done from 1998-2002. Elected president of European soccer body UEFA in 2007, Platini was widely expected to succeed Blatter at FIFA.