World football’s ex-leaders Blatter and Platini on trial for fraud

Blatter (centre) faces journalists outside the court building in the Swiss town of Bellinzona on the first day of a trial about controversial FIFA payments. © Ti-press

The trial is underway in a Swiss court of the former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, and ex-UEFA chief, Michel Platini, accused of corruption.

The two former prominent figures of football face charges of unlawfully arranging a payment of CHF2 million ($2.1 million) from the world football governing body FIFA to Platini in 2011.

The trial at the Federal Criminal Court in the town of Bellinzona is expected to run until June 22 and a verdict is due on July 8 according to court officials.

The 86-year-old Swiss Blatter and the 66-year-old former France midfielder Platini both deny any wrongdoing, arguing they are the victims of a plot.

They face up to five years in prison if found guilty, but experts suspended sentences are more likely.

Downfall

The case triggered the downfall of Blatter at the helm of the Zurich-based FIFA and destroyed hopes by former France midfielder Platini of succeeding him.

The payment was settled at a time when Blatter was preparing the campaign for his re-election.

Both defendants claim they had a verbal deal for Platini’s advisory services since 1998 and the leader of the European football association later billed FIFA for additional advisory work.

However, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General accused Blatter and Platini of fraud and several subsidiary charges, including forgery of a documents as well as criminal mismanagement and misappropriation respectively.

Swiss prosecutors began investigations into FIFA in 2014 when the football body filed a criminal complaint about suspected money laundering in bid contests to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee banned Blatter and Platini from football in 2015 and Switzerland’s Gianni Infantino won the election in 2016.