After seven years of scandal, it’s time for former football greats Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini to go to court.
The indictment relates to fraud and corruption and if convicted they can be sentenced to five years in prison.
2015 Far Sepp Blatter And the Michael Platini Two of the most powerful men in football in the world. Former President of the International Football Association (FIFA)FIFA) and Platini, who sat on the same UEFA chair.
That same year, allegations of corruption and fraud came from the Swiss authorities and the duo were suspended from all football activities. After a seven-year investigation, it is now time for a trial in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Blatter, who is now 86 and has major health issues, has only finished during the two-week trial, in which he will be questioned by three judges on Wednesday. Two days later, it was the turn of former senior player Platini, 66. The trial ends on June 22 and July 8.
Claims verbal agreement
In 2011 the former referees are suspected of conspiring to get a payment of just over 2 million Swiss francs by FIFA, roughly 21 million Swedish kronor. The money, with Blatter’s approval, was paid to Platini in connection with FIFA’s advisory services between 1998-2002.
Fraud, according to prosecutors who wrote that the bill was forged while the duo themselves claim they had a verbal agreement that Platini would be paid for his work as an advisor to Blatter.
“With Blatter’s approval, FIFA paid the said amount to Platini in early 2011. Evidence collected by the Public Prosecutor’s Office proves that this transaction was made without legal basis,” prosecutors wrote, according to AFP.
Elected five times
The defendants are accused of fraud and forgery. Blatter was also charged with managerial treason and embezzlement, while Platini was charged with participating in the alleged crimes.
“It is a well-deserved salary, which FIFA owes me, based on verbal agreements and paid legally. Nothing else. I have acted, as in my whole life and career, with complete honesty”, faces three-time Goldboln winner Michel Platini.
The duo fell out when Platini’s campaign to succeed Blatter as FIFA president escalated. In 2015, Blatter was re-elected for the fifth time, a record number within the organization. A few days later, Swiss authorities prosecuted Blatter, who was forced to resign and also crushed Platini’s plans to become his successor.
Accused in a separate indictment
Both banned FIFA’s ethics committee from playing football. Sepp Blatter was suspended for eight years, which was later reduced to six years. In 2021, it was suspended for another six years. Michel Platini, for his part, was suspended for eight years, a ruling appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Cass, which reduced the sentence to four years.
If sentenced, the duo risk up to five years in prison as well as heavy fines. Blatter was also accused in a separate indictment of allowing payment of $1 million, equivalent to 9.8 million Swedish kronor to Trinidad and Tobago, which went to then-FIFA vice president, Jack Warner. Two FIFA officials are suspected in the indictment.