The FIFA logo is seen outside their headquarters in Zurich October 7, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

"President Blatter has not been notified of any action taken by the FIFA Ethics Committee. We would expect that the Ethics Committee would want to hear from the President and his counsel, and conduct a thorough review of the evidence, before making any recommendation to take disciplinary action," said a joint statement from Swiss lawyer Lorenz Erni and Blatter's U.S lawyer Richard Cullen.

A spokesman for Eckert declined to comment. A spokesman for the Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee declined to comment citing FIFA's rules which prohibit them discussing cases.

If Blatter is suspended then under FIFA's statutes the most senior vice-president, currently African football head Issa Hayatou from Cameroon, would become interim president until an election to choose Blatter's replacement on February 26.

The 79-year-old Swiss has been president of FIFA since 1998 and has worked for the organisation for 40 years, starting as a technical director before becoming secretary general under former president Joao Havelange in 1981.

Swiss prosecutors last month opened a criminal investigation into Blatter over a Caribbean World Cup TV rights contract he signed, and a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.1 million) to Platini, whose status the Swiss attorney general has described as being between a witness and an accused person.

Both have denied any wrongdoing.

Media reports have suggested that Platini is also being investigated by the Ethics Committee.

Bound by confidentiality rules, FIFA's Ethics Committee has not commented on whether Platini is under investigation. Platini's spokesman declined to comment.