'Sepp Blatter Tournament' to go ahead

Despite a deepening corruption scandal at FIFA, an annual charity event carrying the outgoing president Sepp Blatter's name will go ahead, organisers said on Thursday.

German great Franz Beckenbauer, who has refused to criticise Blatter and was a FIFA executive between 2007-2011, took part in the last edition.

European football head Michel Platini, now one of Blatter's fiercest critics, has also been a guest at the amateur charity event.

The tournament takes place at Ulrichen, close to where Blatter hails from. It is due to be held on August 22.

Blatter was reelected to the head of FIFA late last month in Zurich for a fifth term as president, only three days after 14 FIFA officials and partners were charged as part of a corruption investigation led by US authorities.

But four days after that Blatter announced his resignation.

According to Swiss media, Blatter has been in a relaxed mood despite the scandal which has engulfed the body he has headed since 1998.

One report claimed that he is even pondering hiring top lawyer Lorenz Erni, who was the man who helped film director Roman Polanski avoid extradition to the United States in 2009/2010.

Photo Credits : AFP