Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini cleared of fraud in Swiss Court
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, the former presidents of FIFA and UEFA, were cleared of charges of fraud, forgery, and poor management on Friday in a Swiss court.
The case focused on a payment FIFA, the entity that oversees soccer throughout the world, made to Platini in 2011.
Platini oversaw UEFA at the time, which was the regulatory organization for soccer in Europe.
Both men were charged by Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) with conspiring illegally to arrange the payment of 2 million Swiss Francs ($2.05 million at the time of the accusation).
Accusations of corruption surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar led to the arrest of Michel Platini.
“I am not innocent in my life, but in this case I am innocent,” Blatter said reporters as he entered the courthouse to hear the judgment.
Blatter asserted during the June trial that Platini’s payment was the Frenchman’s compensation due for consulting services he performed for FIFA between 1998 and 2002.
“The salary was past due.
I don’t see why we are participating in a criminal trial for an administrative matter “Blatter stated.
The 86-year-old continued, “Platini told me, I’m worth a million and I told him, so you’ll be with me for a million – gentlemen’s agreement.
The decision is the result of an investigation as far as 2015
