Greg Dyke: FIFA in 'disarray' with Sepp Blatter under criminal investigation
FIFA is in "disarray", Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has claimed, after criminal proceedings were opened against outgoing president Sepp Blatter.
The Swiss attorney general said Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.
He is also suspected of "a disloyal payment" in 2011 of two millions Swiss francs (£1.35million) to UEFA president Michel Platini - the favourite to succeed Blatter - for work carried out by the Frenchman more than nine years before between 1999 and 2002.
Greg Dyke, pictured, says FIFA is in "disarray", with outgoing president Sepp Blatter facing criminal proceedings
Blatter and UEFA president Platini both deny wrongdoing but - coming a week after FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was suspended after being implicated in a ticket scandal - it is another momentous development for FIFA.
"What is clear is that FIFA must be in disarray," Dyke told ITV News. "Last week their general secretary got suspended and this week the president is being interviewed by police."
Blatter's American lawyer Richard Cullen insisted "no mismanagement" had occurred.
Cullen said in a statement: "Mr Blatter is cooperating and we are confident that when the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the documents and the evidence they will see that the contract was properly prepared and negotiated by the appropriate staff members of FIFA who were routinely responsible for such contracts, and certainly no mismanagement occurred."
Platini said he had clarified matters about the payment with the Swiss authorities after being interviewed as a witness.
"Regarding the payment that was made to me, I wish to state that this amount relates to work which I carried out under a contract with FIFA and I was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters relating to this with the authorities," the Frenchman said.
In 2005, Blatter signed a contract for World Cup TV rights with the Caribbean Football Union, controlled by Jack Warner. Warner's company later sold the rights on for an £11million profit.
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