Blatter and Platini Face New Swiss Trial on Fraud Charges

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are back in a Swiss court confronting fraud accusations related to a disputed payment made in 2011. Previously acquitted in a 2022 trial, the pair's case is being reexamined following a federal prosecutor's appeal, with a verdict expected next month.

 

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and French football icon Michel Platini are making a return to the Swiss court system as they face fresh accusations of fraud related to a payment made nearly a decade ago. The two were previously acquitted in a trial concerning a controversial transfer of 2 million Swiss francs (approximately £1.6 million) to Platini, which Blatter authorized in 2011, deemed by the pair as belated payments for advisory work.

The recent legal proceedings had been triggered by an appeal from the Swiss federal prosecutor. The ongoing trial is expected to run through Thursday, with a verdict anticipated on March 25. During the proceedings on Monday at an appeals court in Muttenz near Basel, 88-year-old Blatter asserted his innocence while describing the accusations against him as “falsehoods, lies, and deception.”

Platini’s attorney defended the pair's actions, arguing that the previous court ruling was justified in asserting the legality of the disputed payment. Platini, now 69, boasts an impressive football legacy as a three-time Ballon d'Or winner, leading France to victory at the 1984 European Championship and winning the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. He eventually became UEFA president in 2007 after coaching France.

Accusations against both men date back to 2015 when Swiss prosecutors launched an investigation into their dealings at FIFA. Blatter testified in prior sessions claiming that he approached Platini for advisory work in 1998, eventually reaching a compromise due to FIFA's financial struggles at the time. After ceasing his advisory role in 2002, Platini issued the invoice for the outstanding sum in 2011, which was authorized by Blatter.

In the backdrop of the ongoing trial, both men had already faced suspensions from FIFA for ethics violations in 2015, with their exclusion periods originally lasting eight years before being reduced. The 2022 court judgment responded positively to the concept of a “gentlemen's agreement” regarding the payment, concluding that no wrongdoing had occurred. As both figures continue to defend their actions in court, the outcome of this new trial could significantly impact their legacies in the world of football.