Blatter, Platini cleared of fraud | Breaking News

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex UEFA president Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Friday, according to Reuters.

Blatter was cleared of fraud by the Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona. Platini was also acquitted of fraud.

The two had denied the charges against them.

The case meant Blatter ended his reign as FIFA president in disgrace and it wrecked Platini’s hopes of succeeding him after he was banned from football when the affair came to light.

Blatter had said the two-million franc payment followed a “gentlemen’s agreement” between the pair when he asked Platini to be his technical adviser in 1998.

Platini worked as a consultant between 1998 and 2002 with an annual salary of 300,000 Swiss francs — the most FIFA could afford because of money troubles the organisation had at the time, Blatter has told the court.

Please follow and like us: