Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and French football legend Michel Platini were acquitted of corruption charges by the Swiss court, marking a conclusive end to a two-and-a-half-year legal struggle. This follows their initial acquittal in 2022, which had been challenged by Swiss federal prosecutors. The case, stemming from a disputed payment made in 2011 for consultancy work, has had significant repercussions on Platini's career, including thwarting his aspirations to become the FIFA president in 2016. Platini's lawyer emphasized the need for closure regarding these accusations, stating no evidence was presented to justify the proceedings.
"After two acquittals, even the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland must realise that these criminal proceedings have definitively failed. Michel Platini must finally be left in peace in criminal matters," Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen said in a statement.
"The criminal proceedings have had not only legal but also massive personal and professional consequences for Michel Platini -- although no incriminating evidence was ever presented. Among other things, the criminal proceedings prevented his election as FIFA president in 2016," Nellen said.
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