Lawyers: Blatter will remain FIFA president until February

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, under criminal investigation by Swiss authorities, plans to remain in his job until February and told staff at the world soccer governing body on Monday that he had done nothing illegal or improper, Blatter's lawyers said.

An emailed statement from Blatter's personal lawyers, Lorenz Erni of Switzerland and Richard Cullen of the United States, also defended payments that Zurich-based FIFA made to Michel Platini, president of the UEFA soccer confederation, as "valid compensation" for Platini's work as an adviser.