Swiss Court Clears Michel Platini, Sepp Blatter of Corruption After 7 Years

A Swiss court has acquitted Sepp Blatter, a former Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) president, and Michel Platini, a former France footballer and manager, of corruption charges.

According to several European news outlets, the Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona, Switzerland, cleared Blatter and Platini of fraud on Friday after a seven-year investigation.

Prosecutors launched an investigation against both men in 2015, accusing them of a payment of two million Swiss francs (£1.6m) arranged by Blatter to Platini in February 2011. Blatter and Platini were arraigned in court on corruption charges in November 2021.

“I am not innocent in my life, but in this case, I am innocent,” Daily Mail quoted Blatter to have said on Friday.

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“I am not speaking about FIFA, I am not speaking about corruption, I am speaking about me.

“That’s it, I have done nothing wrong. I am clean with my conscious, I am clean with my spirit, and I am clean with my anima (soul).”

Platini on his part said that he would be going after culprits that led to the case being put against him.

“In this case, there are culprits who did not appear during this trial,” Platini said.

“Let them count on me, we will meet again. Because I will not give up and I will go all the way in my quest for truth.”

Blatter was FIFA’s president for about 17 years but had to leave the role in 2015 when the corruption accusations arose. Platini also left the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in 2016.

FIJ