After previous acquittals, the legal saga continues, with both men maintaining their innocence regarding a 2m Swiss francs payment.
**Blatter and Platini Face Renewed Legal Scrutiny in Swiss Court Over Fraud Allegations**
**Blatter and Platini Face Renewed Legal Scrutiny in Swiss Court Over Fraud Allegations**
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini return to court over a controversial payment that sparked fraud accusations.
Sepp Blatter, former Fifa president, and French football icon Michel Platini are once again facing Swiss judicial scrutiny as they battle accusations of fraud linked to a controversial payment authorized by Blatter in 2011. The two football leaders are back in court in Muttenz, near Basel, after being acquitted in 2022 concerning the payment of 2 million Swiss francs (approximately £1.6 million).
During the earlier trial, Blatter and Platini argued that the funds were a delayed payment for advisory work done by Platini, the former president of UEFA. The Swiss federal prosecutor, however, appealed that decision, prompting this renewed hearing, which is expected to run through Thursday, with a verdict anticipated on March 25.
Blatter, now 88, appeared confident in asserting his innocence, telling the court, "When you talk about falsehoods, lies and deception, that's not me. That didn't exist in my whole life." Meanwhile, Platini's lawyer praised the initial court's decision to acquit them, affirming that the payment at the heart of the case was lawful.
Both men have illustrious backgrounds in football, with Platini being a three-time Ballon d'Or winner and a pivotal figure in France's victorious 1984 European Championship squad. His journey includes stints as coach of the French national team and later as UEFA's president.
The saga traces back to 2015 when allegations arose concerning potential deception involving payments made to Platini. Blatter testified that he had enlisted Platini’s help as an advisor in 1998, settling on a partial payment initially due to Fifa’s financial constraints. However, upon feeling financially secure, Platini sought to finalize the overdue balance in January 2011.
Investigations from 2015 ultimately led to accusations of forgery and fraud against both men, resulting in an ethics suspension from football that was later reduced after initial eight-year bans. The previous acquittal in 2022 favored their narrative of a "gentlemen's agreement" regarding the payments.
Blatter, an influential figure since joining Fifa in 1975, held the presidency from 1998 until his resignation amid corruption scandals, while Platini withdrew from his own presidential race in light of these troubles.
