Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges relating to allegations of fraud at FIFA, with an appeals court upholding the original verdict.
Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA president, and Michel Platini, a celebrated French footballer, have been cleared of corruption charges relating to allegations of fraud at the global footballing body. The two were found not guilty by an appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel in Switzerland.
The long-running case stems from 2015, when FIFA became mired in allegations of fraud and corruption, culminating in a dramatic raid in Zurich resulting from a separate US probe. Swiss prosecutors accused Blatter and Platini of deceiving FIFA over a payment to Platini, alleging forgery and fraud. They said the payment had ‘no legal basis.’ However, both men argued that the transfer was a belated payment for advisory work Platini had done for FIFA.
Switzerland’s federal criminal court in Bellinzona cleared the two, accepting they had a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ over the payment. Federal prosecutors appealed the decision, leading to the new hearing. On Tuesday, the appeals court upheld the original verdict, clearing Blatter and Platini of corruption charges.
Michel Platini is a French former football player and administrator.
Born on June 21, 1955, in Joigny-sur-Meuse, France, he played as an attacking midfielder for several clubs, including Saint-Étienne and Juventus.
Platini won the 'Ballon d'Or' three times and was a key player in the French national team that reached the final of the 1984 'European Championship'.
He later became the president of UEFA from 2007 to 2015.
Speaking to reporters following the verdict, Blatter said: ‘Finally, the court has dispensed justice and for me, my family and my friends. This is a big thing.‘ He added: ‘I’m full of emotion right now.’ Platini told reporters his ‘persecution’ was ‘now totally over,’ adding: ‘Today, my honour has returned and I am very happy.‘
Sepp Blatter is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth president of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) from 1998 to 2015.
Born on April 10, 1936, in Visp, Switzerland, Blatter studied business and economics at the University of Lausanne.
He joined FIFA in 1975 and held various positions before becoming president.
During his tenure, FIFA introduced the World Cup expansion from 32 to 48 teams and implemented changes to the transfer system.
Platini’s lawyer has said they are now planning legal action against those responsible for the criminal proceedings. The lawyer stated that ‘The Office of the Attorney General has not managed to find a single piece of incriminating evidence for over 10 years.’ They also claimed that the proceedings were ‘not justified and should never have been conducted.‘
Blatter, originally a Swiss businessman and sports administrator, joined FIFA in 1975, rising through the body’s ranks to become its general secretary in 1981 and president in 1998. Platini had an illustrious playing career and is a three-time winner of the Ballon d’Or – Europe’s highest individual football award. He captained France to victory at the 1984 European Championship and won the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. He went on to coach the French national team and served as UEFA president from 2007 until 2015.
Blatter and Platini were first acquitted of fraud offences in 2022, but the verdict was appealed by Swiss federal prosecutors. The case has been one of the biggest in football history, involving collusion between officials from the governing bodies and sports marketing executives, with fraud, bribery, racketeering, and money laundering offences committed.
