Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and French football icon Michel Platini have returned to court in Switzerland to face an appeal in a fraud case related to a controversial payment.
In 2022, both men were acquitted over a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6 million) made to Platini in 2011 and authorized by Blatter. They maintained that the payment was a delayed remuneration for Platini’s advisory work for FIFA, where he had served as the head of UEFA, European football’s governing body.
However, the Swiss federal prosecutor challenged the acquittal, leading to a new trial, which began on Monday in Muttenz, near Basel. The proceedings are expected to conclude by Thursday, with a verdict scheduled for March 25.
Blatter, 88, reiterated his innocence, stating, “When you talk about falsehoods, lies, and deception, that’s not me. That didn’t exist in my whole life.” Platini’s legal team argued that the 2022 ruling was correct in finding that the payment was lawful.
Platini, 69, is a highly decorated footballer, having won the prestigious Ballon d’Or three times. He captained France to victory in the 1984 European Championship and secured the 1985 European Cup with Juventus before transitioning into coaching and later becoming UEFA president in 2007.
The controversy dates back to 2015 when Swiss prosecutors accused Blatter and Platini of defrauding FIFA. During the initial trial, Blatter testified that he had enlisted Platini as an adviser in 1998, but FIFA, at the time, could not afford the requested annual fee of 1 million Swiss francs. Instead, they verbally agreed on a partial payment, with the remainder to be settled later.
Platini ceased working for FIFA in 2002 but did not immediately pursue the unpaid sum. In 2011, he submitted an invoice for the outstanding amount, which was subsequently paid with Blatter’s approval.
Following a 2015 investigation, Swiss prosecutors charged both men with fraud and forgery. That same year, FIFA suspended them from football for ethics violations, initially imposing eight-year bans, which were later reduced.
In 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona cleared them of all charges, accepting their claim that the payment was part of a “gentlemen’s agreement.”
Blatter, a longtime sports administrator, joined FIFA in 1975, became its general secretary in 1981, and was elected president in 1998. He held the position for 17 years before stepping down amid widespread corruption investigations. Platini, who had initially aimed to succeed him, later withdrew his candidacy.
