Sepp Blatter arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court where he was cleared of fraud alongside former Uefa chief Michel Platini. AFP
Sepp Blatter arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court where he was cleared of fraud alongside former Uefa chief Michel Platini. AFP
Sepp Blatter arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court where he was cleared of fraud alongside former Uefa chief Michel Platini. AFP
Sepp Blatter arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court where he was cleared of fraud alongside former Uefa chief Michel Platini. AFP

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini cleared of corruption by Swiss court


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Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter and France footballing legend Michel Platini were cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Friday.

Blatter was the head of world football for 17 years before resigning amid a corruption scandal that rocked the sport, was cleared of fraud by the Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona.

Platini, a former France national team captain president of European football governing body Uefa, was also acquitted of fraud.

The two, once among the most powerful figures in world football had denied the charges against them.

Swiss federal prosecutors said they would examine the written verdict before deciding whether to appeal.

"I have always said my conscience is clear," a relieved but frail-looking Blatter told reporters outside the court.

"Naturally nobody's perfect, but in the case of my job, my work, 44 years working at FIFA, for me it is so important that this case has been settled at the highest Swiss level," the 86-year-old added.

Platini, aged 67, also described his joy, saying the allegations had turned him from a legend of world soccer to a "devil".

"I want to express my happiness for all my loved ones that justice has finally been done after seven years of lies and manipulation," Platini said.

"The truth has come to light," he added. "I kept saying it: my fight is a fight against injustice."

Prosecutors had accused Blatter and Platini of unlawfully arranging for Fifa to pay the Frenchman two million Swiss francs ($2.06 million) in 2011.

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, 86, 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.

Former Uefa president Michel Platini arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court. AFP
Former Uefa president Michel Platini arrives at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court. AFP

Platini, 67, 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.

The rest of Platini's one million per year salary was to be settled at a later date, Blatter said.

Motives for the payment were unclear, although the two men met in 2010 and discussed the upcoming elections for the Fifa presidency in 2011.

When Blatter approved the payment, he was campaigning for re-election against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. Platini, then president of Uefa, was seen as having sway with European members who could influence the vote.

The payment emerged following a huge investigation launched by the US Department of Justice into bribery, fraud and money-laundering at Fifa in 2015, which triggered Blatter's resignation.

Both officials were banned in 2015 from football for eight years over the payment, although their bans were later reduced.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

MATCH INFO

Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)

Kolkata won by 31 runs

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%3Cp%3EApril%2021-23%3A%20Imola%3Cbr%3EMay%205-7%3A%20Misano%3Cbr%3EMay%2026-28%3A%20SPA-Francorchamps%3Cbr%3EJune%2023-25%3A%20Monza%3Cbr%3EJuly%2021-23%3A%20Paul%20Ricard%3Cbr%3ESept%2029-Oct%201%3A%20Mugello%3Cbr%3EOct%2013-15%3A%20Vallelunga%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: July 08, 2022, 10:37 AM`