A Swiss court in Muttenz, just outside Basel, has cleared Sepp Blatter, 89, and Michel Platini, 69, of all corruption charges tied to a controversial 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6m) payment made in 2011.
The verdict marks the second acquittal for the former FIFA and UEFA presidents, following their initial clearance in 2022.
The payment, made while Blatter was head of FIFA and Platini led UEFA, came under scrutiny during the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal, which saw dozens of officials implicated in a sweeping US-led probe involving bribery, fraud, and racketeering.
That same scandal forced Blatter’s resignation and ended Platini’s ambition to become FIFA president.
BREAKING: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini have been acquitted for a second time of financial wrongdoing with FIFA money. pic.twitter.com/yFQFgAGCPE
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 25, 2025
Swiss federal prosecutors argued the 2m franc payment had “no legal basis” and accused the pair of deception, fraud, and document forgery.
They appealed the original 2022 verdict, which had accepted the existence of a “gentlemen’s agreement” for deferred payment.
Blatter testified that Platini began advising him in 1998 and had agreed to a lower annual fee of 300,000 francs due to FIFA’s limited finances.
The remainder, he claimed, was always intended to be paid later. The court agreed, once again rejecting the prosecutors’ claims.
“I’m full of emotion right now,” Blatter told reporters. “Finally, the court has dispensed justice for me, my family, and my friends.”
Platini, who captained France to Euro ’84 glory and won three Ballon d’Or titles in the ’80s, was equally defiant.
“Today, my honour has returned and I am very happy,” he said.
His lawyer, Dominic Nellen, blasted the decade-long case: “These proceedings were not justified and should never have been conducted.”
Platini’s legal team now plans to launch legal action against those responsible for the original charges, which they claim lacked any incriminating evidence after over 10 years of investigation.
