Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter And Michel Platini Return To Court

Former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, was again tried in court on charges of fraud (doc. FIFA).

JAKARTA - Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini will attend Swiss courts on Monday, March 3, 2025, local time, on charges of fraud - more than two years after they were released.

The two men, once one of the most senior figures in the world of football, were released in 2022 in a Swiss court following a seven-year investigation into the payment of 2 million Swiss francs (USD 2.22 million) by Blatter to Platini.

Swiss federal prosecutors have appealed against the decision, leading to a new hearing at the Swiss Criminal Court's Extraordinary Appeal Room (Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court) in Muttenz, near Basel.

"The Swiss Attorney General's Office (OAG) has filed an appeal against the first-degree ruling and filed an appeal in October 2022 requesting that the ruling be completely canceled," said the prosecutor.

Prosecutors declined to provide further details.

The 2022 indictment alleges Blatter and Platini deceived FIFA staff in 2010 and 2011 about the world football agency's obligation to pay for the French legend, who at the time served as UEFA President.

"They mistakenly claim that FIFA owes it to Platini or that Platini has the right to a total of 2 million Swiss francs for consulting work."

"This fraud was carried out through false claims that were repeatedly made by the accused parties," said the indictment.

The case shattered Platini's hopes of finally replacing Blatter, who resigned from FIFA in 2015 after a separate corruption scandal.

Blatter and Platini were suspended from football in 2015 by FIFA for ethical violations, initially for eight years, but eventually reduced.

Both were released in the case in 2022, after a judge accepted that their statement of "a reasonable agreement" for the payment was credible. The judge also said there were serious doubts about the prosecutor's allegations that it was fraud.

Swiss federal prosecutors demanded a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, against Blatter and Platini.

Blatter, who served as President of FIFA for 17 years to 2015, said before the trial that he felt he was the subject of witch hunting.

"The Federal Criminal Court in 2022 said the contract between Platini and I was right. I hope the new court will confirm this first decision," 51r, 88, told Reuters last week, adding the upcoming appeal was completely unreasonable.

"I completely believe I will be released, I am an honest person," Blatter said.

Platini, three European Player of the Year award winners, is also confident that they will be released.

"The first-degree trial was right in deciding that the disputed payment of the 2 million Swiss francs was legal," said Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen.

"My client denies any criminal acts and is relaxed about the appeal hearing. He will also be released there."

The verdict is expected to be handed down on March 25, 2025.