Sepp Blatter Claims “Witch Hunt” Ahead of FIFA Corruption Appeal

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini will face a new court hearing in Switzerland next week, as prosecutors appeal their 2022 acquittal on fraud charges. The case centers on a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.24 million) payment made by FIFA to Platini in 2011, authorized by Blatter, for consulting work performed between 1998 and 2002.

Blatter, 88, who led FIFA from 1998 to 2015, told Reuters he is innocent and the victim of a “witch hunt.” He maintains the payment was legitimate and based on a valid contract, a position upheld by the Federal Criminal Court in the initial 2022 ruling. “The Federal Criminal Court in 2022 said the contract between Platini and me was correct, and I expect the new court will confirm this first decision,” Blatter said, calling the appeal “absolute nonsense.”

Platini, 69, a three-time European Footballer of the Year and former France captain and manager, also denies the charges “100%,” according to his lawyer, Dominic Nellen. Nellen described the appeal by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland as “incomprehensible” given the previous acquittal.

In the 2022 trial, the judge found the pair’s claim of a “gentlemen’s agreement” regarding the payment to be credible, casting doubt on the prosecution’s assertion of fraud. Both Blatter and Platini lost their positions in football and received bans from the sport as a result of the investigation.

Swiss federal prosecutors are seeking 20-month suspended sentences for both men. The appeal hearing will be held at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, starting on Monday, with a verdict expected on March 25. Blatter expressed his hope that the hearing would bring the matter to a close, allowing him to “live in peace.”