FIFA president Sepp Blatter has defended his role in a kickbacks scandal involving his former boss and predecessor Joao Havelange.

Blatter said you can’t judge the past on the standards of today. 

Blatter’s comments were made in an interview conducted by FIFA, posted to the world football governing body’s website. 

It was prompted by the Federal Supreme Court ordering the release of a court document naming Havelange, and his former son-in-law Ricardo Texieria as having repaid more than $6 million on the condition their identities would not be revealed in a World Cup kickbacks case.

Blatter said such payments were legal in Switzerland in the 1990s, whereas today they are punishable.

He also said he had no power over Havelange, and that only the FIFA congress could remove him in the scandal.

The bribes are connected to dealings of the now defunct ISL marketing agency, in a case that has gone on for more than a decade.