Julius OkorieAfter a lengthy trial in which former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President, Michel Platini, have maintained their innocence, both men have been set free by an appeal Court in Muttenz, Switzerland.
The main crux of the matter was the alleged controversial payment made by Blatter to Platini in 2011.The court 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.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe 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.
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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, a Swiss businessman, who earned a business and economics degree at the University of Lausanne, joined FIFA in 1975 and worked his way up to become General Secretary in 1981 and later President in 1998. He was a keen amateur footballer in his youth, playing centre forward for FC Sierre.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
