Platini-Blatter case: new acquittal on appeal

Ten years of legal proceedings and an unchanged verdict. Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter were acquitted on Tuesday by the Extraordinary Court of Appeal in Muttenz, Switzerland. As in 2022, the court dismissed the charges of fraud, mismanagement, and breach of trust.

The former French captain, 69, expressed his relief: "Today, my honor has been restored." He believes that this case was solely aimed at removing him from the presidency of FIFA. His ousting in 2015 paved the way for Gianni Infantino's election. The case involved a payment of 2 million Swiss francs made in 2011 by FIFA to Platini. The defense cited a "gentlemen's agreement" dating back to 1998, while the prosecution denounced a "false invoice." Due to insufficient evidence, the court deemed the agreement plausible and the testimonies consistent.

The public prosecutor, who had requested a 20-month suspended prison sentence, is now considering a final appeal before the Swiss Federal Tribunal. But for Platini and Blatter, the legal battle seems finally to be drawing to a close.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr