MUTTENZ, Switzerland (AP) — Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini experienced another legal victory on Tuesday, as they were acquitted for the second consecutive time in their ongoing legal battle against Swiss federal prosecutors. This latest ruling brings the scores to 2-0 in favor of the former FIFA president Blatter, aged 89, and the former UEFA president Platini, who is 69 years old.
The court’s decision came from a panel of three cantonal judges acting as a federal criminal appeals court, who upheld their first acquittal from July 2022. Both Blatter and Platini faced charges including fraud, forgery, mismanagement, and the misappropriation of more than $2 million of FIFA funds in a case that has persisted for over a decade.
In the courtroom, Blatter displayed a restrained demeanor, occasionally tapping his fingers and covering his mouth with his left hand while he listened to the verdict. Platini, seated nearby, appeared more anxious, with his arms crossed and hands rubbing together as he received the translation of the court's decision, relayed from German into his native French by a translator.
The attorney general’s office in Switzerland sought to challenge their initial acquittal, proposing sentences of 20 months, suspended for two years. However, both Blatter and Platini have consistently maintained their innocence throughout this drawn-out legal saga, which hinges on their claims of a verbal agreement regarding the disputed payments. Blatter authorized FIFA to pay Platini 2 million Swiss francs (equivalent to about $2.21 million) in February 2011, citing it as supplementary and non-contracted salary for his advisory role during Blatter’s presidency from 1998 to 2002.
The latest acquittal marks a significant moment for the two men, coming precisely 9.5 years after the Swiss federal investigation into their actions was first disclosed. This investigation ultimately led to a broader corruption crisis that tarnished the careers of numerous high-ranking officials in soccer worldwide.
This tumultuous investigation was publicly sparked on September 25, 2015, when Swiss police arrived to interrogate Blatter and Platini at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, coinciding with an executive committee meeting. At the time, Platini was a leading candidate to succeed Blatter as FIFA president, a position he long considered to be his rightful destiny.
Despite being cleared of accusations in two separate federal court trials, Blatter's legacy remains heavily shadowed by the corruption scandals he oversaw during his presidency at FIFA. On the other hand, Platini, renowned as one of soccer’s greatest players, never achieved his goal of leading FIFA, a position he often viewed as his fate.
This ongoing saga not only reflects the complexities of soccer governance but also underscores the struggles faced by its most influential figures in the face of legal and ethical scrutiny.
