Sepp Blatter. Photo Bunte Magazine

Corrine Blatter Andenmatten, the 54 year old daughter of banned  FIFA chief, Sepp Blatter  has likened the eight year ban imposed on her father  to a conviction for manslaughter, at the same time revealing that her father had received several anonymous death threats .

In an interview published today  by the German magazine, Bunte, Corrine said his father and former UEFA chief, Michel Platini  had not killed anyone, adding that the ban was disproportionate to the allegations against them.

She said  she has been concerned about her father’s ill-health the FIFA crisis began, disclosing  his immune system “completely collapsed” in November.

” It was not easy  “to see him suffer so.”  She said her father has now recovered even though the FIFA Ethics Committee ban has taken a toll on him emotionally.

Blatter’s daughter also reported that her father had received anonymous death threats. They would be forwarded to the police. “These people do not have the courage to sign their names.”

Her comments came as Blatter also told the same magazine that he felt  “abandoned” by the global soccer body and will now focus on clearing his name.

FIFA’s watchdog last week banned Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini for eight years for ethics violations. Both men immediately denied any wrongdoing and said they would appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I now no longer fight for FIFA,” the 79-year-old Swiss told German magazine Bunte.

Blatter, who led soccer’s governing body for 17 years, said according to a preview of an interview with Bunte. “They abandoned me. I am now only fighting for myself and my honour.”

Blatter had come out swinging against the ban, holding a news conference to tell reporters that he was sorry only that the president of FIFA was being treated as a “punching ball”, adding: “I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA.”

He told Bunte that he was re-energised by the “false claims” against him. “After Christmas I will start to fight back,” Blatter said.

The inquiry by FIFA’s ethics committee began after the Swiss attorney general’s office opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.03 million) payment to Platini in 2011.

Switzerland’s prosecutor is also investigating FIFA’s award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russia and to Qatar, a small, wealthy desert country with no real soccer tradition.

The ethics committee said it had not found evidence that the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, constituted a bribe, which meant the men were spared potential lifetime bans.

In the United States, prosecutors have indicted 27 current or former soccer officials over allegations that they ran bribery schemes connected to the sale of television rights for soccer competitions.. These include eight former FIFA Executive Committee members and the current heads of both the North and South American federations.

Blatter’s full interview with Bunte will be published on Wednesday