Controversial FIFA President Sepp Blatter is set to be suspended from football by the governing body’s ethics committee, according to a close confidant.

Klaus Stoehlker said a decision by judge Joachim Eckert on a 90-day suspension for Blatter is expected on Friday.

“There is no final decision, this is a recommendation from the lower part of the Ethics Committee to the upper part,” said Stoehlker, who added Blatter knew of the decision.

• I’m clean and FIFA isn’t corrupt: Sepp Blatter
• FIFA bans scandal-stained Chuck Blazer for life
• US moves to extradite seven FIFA officials

“President Blatter will be in his office at FIFA tomorrow,” he said.

Mr Blatter is accused by the Swiss Attorney-General of making an irregular $2.85 million payment to UEFA boss Michel Platini in 2011.

FIFA’s code of ethics states that once an investigator from the committee’s lower chamber looks into a case, it can then make a recommendation for suspension for the higher chamber to put into action.

Ironically, the ethics committee was set up by Mr Blatter in 2006.

Mr Blatter’s lawyers contradicted reports, saying the President had not been told of any decision by the 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,” a statement said.

Mr Blatter has long championed his innocence.

Even after the arrests of FIFA officials in May, which plunged the organisation into crisis, Blatter promised to lead a reform process before standing down in February.

Members of FIFA’s executive committee, which Mr Blatter leads, have been embroiled in allegations of bribery, nepotism and scandal for years.

If the judge suspends Mr Blatter, it would leave FIFA without either of its top two officials.

Secretary general Jerome Valcke, Blatter’s right-hand man for the past eight years, was suspended last month after allegations he was involved in a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price. Valcke denied the charges.

– with ABC