Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and celebrated French footballer Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges relating to allegations of fraud at the global footballing body.
An appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel in Switzerland, on Tuesday cleared the two of impropriety over a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) Blatter made to Platini in 2011. Both men have consistently denied wrongdoing.
The two were first acquitted of fraud offences in 2022, but the verdict was appealed by Swiss federal prosecutors.
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.
The scandal, the biggest in football history, involved collusion between officials from the governing bodies and sports marketing executives, with fraud, bribery, racketeering and money laundering offences committed.
It forced Blatter to resign and ended Platini’s hopes of succeeding him as the head of FIFA.
Swiss prosecutors then accused Blatter, now 89, and Platini, 69, of deceiving FIFA over the payment to Platini, alleging forgery and fraud. They said the payment had “no legal basis”.
Both men argued the transfer was a belated payment for advisory work Platini – who had previously served as president of European footballing body UEFA – had done for FIFA.
In his testimony at the first trial, Blatter said that he had asked Platini to work as his adviser in 1998. He added that, at the time, FIFA could not afford the 1m Swiss francs annual fee requested by Platini.
They instead agreed on a reduced annual fee of 300,000 francs, with the rest paid later on.
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.
Speaking to reporters following Tuesday’s 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.”
Platini’s lawyer has said they are now planning legal action against those responsible for the criminal proceedings.
“The Office of the Attorney General has not managed to find a single piece of incriminating evidence for over 10 years,” Dominic Nellen said in a statement.
“These proceedings were not justified and should never have been conducted.”
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, 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.
BBC News
