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ZURICH — FIFA president Sepp Blatter was placed under criminal investigation by Swiss authorities on Friday as a probe into soccer corruption reached the highest levels and left his grip on the top job in peril.

The Swiss attorney general’s office opened proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money. Authorities also searched Blatter’s office and seized data.

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The announcements came as FIFA wrapped up a two-day executive committee meeting and marked another stunning day of turmoil for the governing body and Blatter, who have been targeted by American and Swiss investigations into corruption.

The 79-year-old Blatter is set to step down in February as a result of those probes, but Friday’s events made an early exit seem inevitable.

The opening of formal criminal proceedings against Blatter could lead the FIFA ethics committee to provisionally suspend him from duty.