Court clears Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter of fraud and corruption

Former FIFA and UEFA President, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been found not guilty of fraud for a second time over the 2 million Swiss francs (£1.75 million) payment that led to their dismissal in 2015.

The extraordinary appeals of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz cleared Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter of criminal charges of fraud, forgery, mismanagement, and misappropriation on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Though federal court trials have twice cleared their names, Blatter's reputation likely always will be tied to leading FIFA during corruption crises that took down a swath of senior football officials worldwide. .

The office of the attorney general of Switzerland (OAG) had been seeking suspended 20-month jail sentences for the both of them after appealing against their 2022 acquittals over a 2011 payment that saw both men banned from world football. The pair have always maintained their innocence since the incident broke out a decade ago.

However, this incident also ended the hope of Platini to becoming FIFA president, who as at that time was president of UEFA.

What was the offence of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini?

The case related to a 2 million Swiss franc (£1.75m) payment which Blatter authorised for Platini in 2011. According to Blatter, this was a payment for consultancy fee paid to Platini for work carried out between 1998 and 2002, which the Frenchman said had been partly deferred because FIFA lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately."

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