Former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA president, Michel Platini, have once again been cleared of fraud charges in Switzerland.
The allegations, which date back to 2011, accused the two football administrators of fraud, falsification, financial mismanagement, and embezzlement of over $2 million in FIFA funds.
After an initial acquittal, the Swiss Attorney General’s Office challenged the ruling in July 2022, pushing for a 20-month prison sentence with a two-year suspension.
Blatter, now 89, and Platini, 69, have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
According to Sky Sports, they were cleared of fraud by the Swiss Criminal Court’s Extraordinary Appeals Chamber in Muttenz, near Basel.
Blatter had approved a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (now $2.21 million) to French football legend Platini in February 2011.
The payment was described as supplementary, non-contracted remuneration for Platini’s advisory role to the FIFA president between 1998 and 2002.
Despite securing exoneration in federal court for the second time, Blatter’s name remains closely associated with the corruption scandals that rocked FIFA, leading to the downfall of several high-ranking football officials worldwide.
Platini, once seen as Blatter’s heir in football governance and widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest players, never realized his dream of becoming FIFA president.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner served as UEFA president from 2007 until 2015, when he was banned from all football-related activities.
