Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and French football legend Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges related to a controversial payment made in 2011.
A Swiss appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel, ruled on Tuesday that the two men were not guilty of fraud in relation to a 2 million Swiss franc (£1.6 million) payment from Blatter to Platini. Both had maintained their innocence throughout the legal battle.
The case dates back to 2015 when FIFA was rocked by a major corruption scandal that led to multiple arrests and investigations into financial misconduct.
Allegations of bribery, fraud, and money laundering engulfed football’s governing body, ultimately forcing Blatter to step down as president and derailing Platini’s ambitions to succeed him.
Swiss prosecutors alleged that the payment to Platini was fraudulent and lacked legal justification. However, Blatter and Platini insisted it was a delayed payment for consultancy work Platini had carried out for FIFA years earlier.
A Swiss criminal court initially acquitted them in 2022, but federal prosecutors appealed the verdict.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, Blatter expressed relief, calling the decision a "big thing" for himself, his family, and friends.
Platini, meanwhile, declared his "persecution" over and hinted at legal action against those who pursued the case against him.