Sepp Blatter Reveals Near-Death Hospital Experience, Eyes FIFA Return

Sepp Blatter almost didn’t come home from his recent stay in the hospital.

Blatter revealed Monday in an interview with Swiss television station RTS that he was “close to death” after collapsing at his parents’ gravesite earlier this month. Blatter blames the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal for causing the stress, which led to his medical incident.

“I was very close to death,” Blatter told RTS, according to Sky Sports. “I was between the angels singing and the devil with the fire. But it was the angels who sang.

“The pressure on me was enormous. If you are strong mentally, you can resist, but at some point, the body says ‘no,’ and in this case, the body has reacted badly.”

On Nov. 11, a spokesperson for Blatter, 79, described his collapse as a “small breakdown.” Blatter’s comments to RTS suggest the situation was more serious.

Blatter still is serving a 90-day ban from his longtime job as FIFA president. FIFA’s Ethics Committee has opened a case against Blatter over the $2 million backdated payment to former protege Michel Platini in 2011. FIFA could suspend Blatter and Platini for seven years if they are found guilty.

Blatter continues to fight his suspension, despite losing his appeal to FIFA. Blatter and Platini are considering taking their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. If they win there, Blatter expects to return for the final weeks of his presidency.

“Platini is an honest man,” Blatter said. “If he comes back, he will be elected, and if he comes back, I will return, too.”

That would be some comeback.