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FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he was near death in hospital

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo FIFA President Sepp Blatter pauses during a press conference following a meeting of the Executive Committee in Zurich, Switzerland. On Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (Steffen Schmidt/Keystone via AP).
FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2010 file photo FIFA President Sepp Blatter pauses during a press conference following a meeting of the Executive Committee in Zurich, Switzerland. On Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (Steffen Schmidt/Keystone via AP).

ZURICH – Sepp Blatter says he was near death when hospitalized for stress-related problems this month.

The suspended FIFA president tells Swiss broadcaster RTS he was “between the angels singing and the devils’ fire. But it was the angels which sang.”

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Blatter says “happily I never lost consciousness” during the 48 hours when he was most ill.

Blatter did not specify his illness in interview extracts released ahead of a program being broadcast Wednesday. The French-language broadcaster says Blatter was treated in intensive care for several days.

Blatter is awaiting hearings at the FIFA ethics committee and Court of Arbitration for Sport over a $2 million FIFA payment to Michel Platini in 2011.

He says Platini is “an honest man” and “will be elected” FIFA president if he wins the case.

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