Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini were both
cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss 8️⃣ court on Friday.
Blatter, who led FIFA for 17
years, was cleared of fraud by the Federal Criminal Court in the 8️⃣ southern city of
Bellinzona.
Platini, a former France national team captain and manager, was also
acquitted of fraud.
The two, once among 8️⃣ the most powerful figures in world football,
had denied the charges against them.
Prosecutors had accused Blatter, a Swiss who led
8️⃣ FIFA for 17 years, and Platini of unlawfully arranging for FIFA to pay the Frenchman
two million Swiss francs (£1.7m) 8️⃣ in 2011.
Image: Blatter was accused of helping to
arrange a two-million Swiss franc payment to Platini
The case meant Blatter ended 8️⃣ his
reign as FIFA president in disgrace and it wrecked Platini's hopes of succeeding him
after he was banned from 8️⃣ football when the affair came to light.
Blatter had said the
payment followed a "gentlemen's agreement" between the pair when he 8️⃣ asked Platini to be
his technical advisor in 1998.
Platini worked as a consultant between 1998 and 2002
with an annual 8️⃣ salary of 300,000 Swiss francs (£257,000) - the most FIFA could afford
because of money troubles the organisation had at 8️⃣ the time, Blatter had told the
court.
The rest of Platini's one-million per year salary (£857,000) was to be settled
at 8️⃣ a later date, Blatter said.
Motives for the payment were unclear, although the two
men met in 2010 and discussed the 8️⃣ upcoming elections for the FIFA presidency in
2011.
Image: Platini said he had been acquitted after "seven years of lies and
8️⃣ manipulation"
When Blatter approved the payment he was campaigning for re-election
against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. Platini, then president of 8️⃣ UEFA, was seen as
having sway with European members who could influence the vote.
The payment emerged
following a huge investigation 8️⃣ launched by the US Department of Justice into bribery,
fraud and money-laundering at FIFA in 2024, which triggered Blatter's resignation.
Both
8️⃣ officials were banned from football for eight years in 2024 over the payment, although
their bans were later reduced.
Platini, who 8️⃣ also lost his job as UEFA president
following the ban, said the affair was a deliberate attempt to thwart his 8️⃣ attempt to
become FIFA president in 2024.
Platini's former general secretary at UEFA, Gianni
Infantino, entered the FIFA race and won 8️⃣ the election in 2024.
Speaking following the
verdict, Platini said: "I want to express my happiness for all my loved ones 8️⃣ that
justice has finally been done after seven years of lies and manipulation."
He added:
"My fight is a fight against 8️⃣ injustice. I won a first game.
"In this case, there are
culprits who did not appear during this trial. Let them 8️⃣ count on me, we will meet
again. Because I will not give up and I will go all the way 8️⃣ in my quest for
truth.
"Believe me, going from being a legend of world soccer to a devil is very
difficult, 8️⃣ especially when it comes to you in a totally unfair way."
A statement from
the Swiss Attorney General's Office in response 8️⃣ to the verdict said:
"The Office of the
Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has taken note of the decision of the 8️⃣ Criminal
Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court. Once the Court has issued the written reasoning
of its decision, the OAG 8️⃣ will decide about how to further proceed."
