Exoneration at Last: Blatter and Platini Cleared of Corruption Charges

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, a French soccer legend, were acquitted of corruption charges by a Swiss court. This marks their second acquittal after federal prosecutors appealed the initial verdict. The case involved a disputed payment related to Platini's consultancy work for FIFA.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and French soccer icon Michel Platini have been acquitted of corruption charges by a Swiss court. This verdict arrives two and a half years after their initial acquittal on similar charges.

The latest ruling at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court came following an appeal by Swiss federal prosecutors against the 2022 decision of a lower court. Both Blatter and Platini consistently denied the fraud charges, linked to a payment authorized by Blatter in 2011 for consultancy work Platini completed between 1998 and 2002.

The payment in question involved 2 million Swiss francs ($2.26 million) and emerged as a central issue in a 2015 scandal, which ultimately derailed Platini's aspirations to lead FIFA and halted Blatter's tenure. The absence of incriminating evidence throughout the proceedings has been emphasized by Platini's lawyer.

(With inputs from agencies.)