Swiss Joseph Blatter, former president of FIFA (International Football Federation), and Frenchman Michel Platini, former president of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), were permanently acquitted on Thursday (28) in Switzerland. The trial was related to an investigation started ten years ago by alleged practices of fraud, falsification and misappropriation of about 2 million Swiss francs (R $ 13.5 million).
The case pushed the former French national team player away from the FIFA president, making room for the election of his right-hand man in Uefa, Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino.
In September 2015, the Swiss Attorney General announced the opening of a criminal action against Blatter, which had communicated months before it would leave FIFA’s command after 17 years in the midst of a corruption scandal involving the payment of bribes to leaders of the entity.
The accusation pointed out that in 2011, when he was reelected, Blatter would have made an irregular payment of 2 million Swiss francs to Platini, then president of UEFA. The payment, according to the defense, referred to services provided between January 1999 and June 2002.
The Swiss authorities accused the leader of mismanagement and improper appropriation of resources. In both cases, the prison penalty could reach five years.
When the action came to light, Platini was the favorite candidate for Blatter’s succession. The pair denied irregularities and said the paid money was foreseen in a “contract with FIFA”.
According to the defense, the nine -year delay for payment occurred due to the entity’s financial incapacity at the time.
“I was employed by FIFA as special advisor to President Joseph Blatter, working on various football -related issues, such as the international football calendar. It was a full -time occupation,” said the Frenchman.
“As I explained to the Swiss authorities, I received only part of the salary agreed between 1998 and 2002,” he added. “This happened because, at the time, FIFA informed me that it could not pay me the total amount agreed. Of course all the figures received were declared to the relevant authorities.”
The accusation arose during what became known as FIFAGATE, when federal investigators from the United States found allegations of corruption in the world football summit. In May 2015, seven leaders were arrested in Zurich, including José Maria Marin, then vice president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).
Blatter’s position became unsustainable. He and Platini were suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee, which marked the end of their trajectories in the entity. This paved the way for Gianni Infantino, then Secretary General of UEFA, elected president of FIFA in 2016 and remains in office to this day.
In July 2022, Blatter and Platini had been acquitted by the Swiss court of the accusation of diversion of 2 million Swiss francs, but the prosecution appealed the decision.
On Thursday, the prosecution announced that it gave up the appeal for lack of evidence.
“The Confederation Public Prosecution Service (MPC) gives up on appealing, thus accepting the verdict issued in the first and second instance,” said the Swiss prosecutor.
“I know it was a story to keep me from being president of FIFA,” said Michel Platini.
