The former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, and former UEFA president, Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges related to a controversial payment made in 2011.
An appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel, Switzerland, ruled on Tuesday that both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini did not engage in any wrongdoing concerning the 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6 million) payment Blatter made to Platini. Throughout this lengthy process, both Blatter and Platini have maintained their innocence.
The case, which first led to their acquittal in 2022, was revisited after a Swiss federal prosecutor appealed the verdict. This legal battle traces its origins to 2015 when FIFA faced widespread allegations of fraud and corruption, highlighted by a high-profile raid in Zurich linked to a separate U.S. investigation.
This significant scandal, known as one of the largest in football history, exposed collusion between officials and sports marketing executives, resulting in various misconducts, including fraud, bribery, and money laundering. The repercussions led to Blatter’s resignation and dashed Platini’s aspirations to succeed him as FIFA president.
Swiss prosecutors accused the two men of misleading FIFA regarding the payment, asserting it lacked a legal foundation. However, Blatter and Platini contended that the funds constituted a delayed payment for advisory work that Platini had previously performed for FIFA.
Blatter testified during the initial trial that he recruited Platini as an advisor in 1998 but mentioned that FIFA could not initially afford Platini’s requested annual fee of 1 million Swiss francs. They eventually settled on a lower fee of 300,000 francs, with the remainder to be compensated later.
The federal criminal court in Bellinzona ultimately supported their claim of a “gentlemen’s agreement” regarding the payment, but the prosecutors challenged this ruling, prompting the recent appeal.
After the favourable verdict, Blatter expressed profound relief, stating that justice had been served for himself and his supporters. He shared his emotional gratitude for the outcome.
Conversely, Platini expressed his contentment, declaring that his “persecution” had concluded, and welcomed the restoration of his honour. His legal team intends to pursue actions against those involved in the criminal proceedings, as they assert that the Attorney General’s office failed to provide any incriminating evidence over the course of a decade.
Platini boasts a distinguished football career, having won the prestigious Ballon d’Or three times, captaining France to victory in the 1984 European Championship, and winning the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. He served as the French national team coach and held the UEFA presidency from 2007 until 2015.
Blatter, originally a Swiss businessman, joined FIFA in 1975 and worked his way up to become general secretary in 1981 and later president in 1998.
