Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini acquitted of corruption charges

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and renowned French footballer Michel Platini have been acquitted of corruption charges related to allegations of fraud at the global football body.

An appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel, Switzerland, cleared the two men on Tuesday over a 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6m) payment Blatter made to Platini in 2011. Both Blatter and Platini have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The pair were initially acquitted of fraud charges in 2022, but Swiss federal prosecutors appealed the verdict.

The case, which dates back to 2015, is part of the broader scandal that engulfed FIFA, leading to allegations of fraud and corruption, and culminating in a high-profile raid in Zurich as part of a separate US investigation.

The scandal, widely regarded as the biggest in football history, involved collusion between officials from FIFA and sports marketing executives, with offences including fraud, bribery, racketeering, and money laundering.

The fallout from the scandal forced Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president and ended Michel Platini's ambitions of succeeding him.

Swiss prosecutors had accused Blatter, now 89, and Platini, 69, of deceiving FIFA over a payment of 2 million Swiss francs to Platini in 2011, alleging forgery and fraud. Prosecutors argued the payment had "no legal basis."

However, both men maintained that the payment was a delayed installment for advisory work Platini had done for FIFA. Platini, who had previously served as president of UEFA, was paid a reduced annual fee of 300,000 Swiss francs instead of the 1 million francs he initially requested. The remaining balance was to be paid later.

At the first trial, Blatter testified that he had asked Platini to be his adviser in 1998, but at the time, FIFA could not afford the full fee.

In 2022, Switzerland's federal criminal court in Bellinzona cleared both men, accepting their claim of a "gentlemen's agreement" regarding the payment. However, federal prosecutors appealed the verdict, leading to the recent hearing, where the court upheld their acquittal.

Speaking to reporters following Tuesday's verdict, Blatter said: "Finally, the court has dispensed justice and for me, my family and my friends. This is a big thing."

He added: "I'm full of emotion right now."

Platini told reporters his "persecution" was "now totally over", adding: "Today, my honour has returned and I am very happy."

Platini's lawyer has said they are now planning legal action against those responsible for the criminal proceedings.

"The Office of the Attorney General has not managed to find a single piece of incriminating evidence for over 10 years," Dominic Nellen said in a statement. "These proceedings were not justified and should never have been conducted."

Platini had an illustrious playing career and is a three-time winner of the Ballon d'Or - Europe's highest individual football award.

He captained France to victory at the 1984 European Championship and won the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. He went on to coach the French national team and served as UEFA president from 2007 until 2015.

Blatter, originally a Swiss businessman and sports administrator, joined FIFA in 1975, rising through the body's ranks to become its general secretary in 1981 and president in 1998.