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July 8, 2022 Sepp Blatter And Michel Platini: Former Heads Of Fifa And Uefa Cleared Of Corruption Charges By Swiss Court

Sepp Blatter And Michel Platini: Former Heads Of Fifa And Uefa Cleared Of Corruption Charges By Swiss Court

Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and vice-president Michel Platini have both been found not guilty following their fraud trial.

The pair stood trial over a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) made by Blatter to Platini in 2011.

Both men had denied wrongdoing and said the transfer was belated payment for Platini’s advisory work for Fifa.

Blatter, 86, and Platini, 67, were banned from football in 2015 and indicted last November.

Their 11-day trial over the 2011 payment took place at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland and concluded on 22 June.

In his testimony, Blatter said he asked Platini to be his adviser when he was first appointed president of football’s world governing body in 1998.

He said former France captain Platini wanted 1m Swiss francs (£816,030) per year but Blatter told him Fifa could not afford that fee.

They instead settled on 300,000 Swiss francs (£244,809) per year, with the outstanding total to be paid at a later date.

Platini stopped working for Fifa in 2002 but did not pursue the payment until 2010, telling the court he had not needed the money at the time of his departure, when – according to Blatter – Fifa was in any case “broke”.

The Swiss Office of the Attorney General accused Blatter and Platini of “fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document”. Platini, who was also charged as an accomplice, said he felt the ban was a deliberate attempt to stop him from becoming Fifa president in 2015.

April 13, 2022 Sepp Blater And Michel Platini To Go On Trial In June Over Corruption Charges

Sepp Blater And Michel Platini To Go On Trial In June Over Corruption Charges

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini will stand trial in Switzerland in June to over corruption charges levelled against them.

Swiss prosecutors allege Blatter unlawfully arranged a transfer of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) to Platini in 2011.

The case against the former footballing presidents was opened in September 2015 after FIFA, football's world governing body, was overwhelmed by accusations of widespread corruption.

Blatter and Platini - who were indicted in November - have both previously denied any wrongdoing but If both parties are found guilty, they could be sentenced to prison or receive fines.

FIFA's ethics committee opened an investigation which saw both men banned from the game and forced to step down from their positions.

The Swiss case is hinged on a request for payment for advisory work Platini did for the then-86-year-old FIFA president between 1998 and 2002.

Prosecutors said 66-year-old Platini demanded the payment "over eight years after the termination of his advisory activity".

"With Blatter's involvement, FIFA made a payment to Platini in said amount at the beginning of 2011," prosecutors previously said.

Blatter and Platini are charged with fraud, embezzlement, "unfaithful business management" and forgery of documents.

The trial will commence on 8 June.

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