Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini have returned to court in Switzerland for a second trial involving charges of fraud, forgery, and misappropriation. The proceedings are taking place in a cantonal court in Muttenz, Switzerland, beginning on a Monday and slated to span four days, concluding on Thursday. A verdict is anticipated on March 25. Federal prosecutors have recommended suspended jail sentences of 20 months, conditional on a two-year probation period.
Central to this case is the controversial payment of 2 million Swiss francs (equivalent to $2.21 million) made to Platini by FIFA. Blatter and Platini assert that this payment was part of a verbal agreement for Platini's advisory services to Blatter during his initial tenure as FIFA president from 1998 to 2002. Platini has claimed that he duly declared the money as income and fulfilled his tax obligations.
Blatter and Platini previously faced trial over these matters in Switzerland's federal criminal court in Bellinzona. After an 11-day trial, they were acquitted in July 2022. The investigation initially surfaced nearly seven years earlier, leading to their removal from their respective positions at FIFA and UEFA. Following the FIFA ethics committee's suspension of Blatter and Platini in October 2015, neither has resumed roles within the football industry. Their respective bans, lasting several years, expired in 2021 for Blatter and 2019 for Platini.
The current trial is being presided over by a panel of three judges, each representing a different canton or state within Switzerland. The legal proceedings form part of ongoing efforts by FIFA to reclaim the disputed funds, as well as an additional 229,000 Swiss francs ($253,000) in associated social charges plus interest.
This case has its roots in early-morning arrests executed by Swiss authorities at hotels in Zurich. These actions were part of a broader initiative that involved seizing FIFA’s financial and business records, marking the beginning of a protracted legal saga that continues to draw significant attention.
