Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini are set to receive a Swiss court’s verdict on Tuesday in their appeal against fraud charges tied to a controversial 2 million Swiss franc ($2.27 million) payment from 2011. Once towering figures in global football, the pair face potential convictions that could permanently stain their legacies, following a legal saga that has spanned nearly a decade.
The case hinges on a payment Blatter authorized for Platini in 2011, which both claim was deferred compensation for consultancy work Platini performed for FIFA between 1998 and 2002. They argue that FIFA’s financial difficulties at the time prevented immediate payment, framing it as a legitimate “gentlemen’s agreement.”
However, Swiss federal prosecutors allege that Blatter and Platini deceived FIFA staff in 2010 and 2011 by falsely asserting that the organization owed Platini the sum, resulting in an unauthorized transaction.
The fallout from this scandal erupted in 2015, when Platini was president of UEFA and poised to succeed Blatter as FIFA’s head. That year, FIFA suspended both men for ethics breaches, initially imposing eight-year bans later reduced, effectively ending their careers as football administrators. The affair dashed Platini’s presidential ambitions and reshaped football governance.
In 2022, a lower Swiss court acquitted Blatter and Platini, finding their explanation credible and casting doubt on the prosecution’s fraud claims. Unconvinced, prosecutors appealed, bringing the case before the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel. They now seek a 20-month suspended jail sentence for both, with a two-year probation period, alongside confiscation of the disputed funds.
Blatter, now 89 and in declining health after 17 years leading FIFA until 2015, staunchly denies wrongdoing, labeling the case a “witch-hunt” in a Reuters interview. Platini, a French football icon and three-time European Footballer of the Year, insists the payment was rightful backpay. His lawyer, Dominic Nellen, contends the charges were a calculated move to block Platini’s path to FIFA’s presidency in 2015, when he was the frontrunner to replace Blatter.
The power vacuum paved the way for Gianni Infantino, Platini’s former deputy at UEFA, to assume FIFA’s presidency. Infantino denies orchestrating Platini’s downfall, claiming he only entered the race at UEFA’s urging after the allegations surfaced. Nevertheless, his rise underscores the scandal’s far-reaching consequences.
Whatever the outcome, both sides can escalate the matter to the Swiss Federal Court, the nation’s highest judicial body, prolonging this high-stakes legal battle. As the football world watches, this verdict will determine whether Blatter and Platini secure vindication or face lasting condemnation in one of FIFA’s most notorious corruption cases.
