Former football executives Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini appeared at a Swiss court on Monday to face a new fraud trial. The proceedings come nearly three years after the two were acquitted, as the Swiss Attorney General’s Office and FIFA have appealed that decision.
Charges and Background of the Case
Blatter, who previously served as FIFA president, and Platini, the ex-president of UEFA and FIFA vice president, are not only charged with fraud but also face allegations of forgery and misappropriation. This trial marks a significant moment in a case that has been under investigation for over nine years.
The controversy began with a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (approximately €2.12 million) made to Platini in 2011, which was authorized by Blatter. Both men have continuously denied any wrongdoing, asserting that a verbal agreement existed for Platini’s compensation for advisory services provided during Blatter’s initial presidential term from 1998 to 2002.
Trial Proceedings and Expected Outcomes
The current hearing is scheduled to continue until Thursday at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court, where proceedings are conducted in German by a panel of three judges from different cantons. A verdict is anticipated to be delivered on 25 March.
Following the emergence of the payment details during FIFA’s corruption scandal in 2015, both Blatter and Platini resigned from their positions. This revelation also curtailed Platini’s bid to succeed Blatter as FIFA president. In November 2021, federal prosecutors indicated that the controversial payment had “damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.”
Despite their acquittal in July 2022 after a protracted investigation, the Swiss federal prosecutor sought to overturn the verdict, leading to the initiation of the current trial. The proceedings were previously stalled after Platini successfully argued for the recusal of federal appeal judges last year.
Prosecutors are seeking a suspended sentence of 20 months for both men. Interestingly, FIFA was not represented in court on Monday, prompting Platini’s lawyer, Dominic Nellen, to request the judges to dismiss FIFA’s appeal and civil claim regarding the case. FIFA is pursuing a civil lawsuit to recover the payment along with an additional 229,000 Swiss francs (around €243,000) in social charges and accrued interest. Platini has maintained that he reported the payment as income and fulfilled his tax obligations on it.