Appeals Court Acquits Sepp Blatter, Platini Of Corruption

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini on Tuesday were acquitted again on appeal by a Swiss court in a long-running corruption case.

As in the first instance, when the pair were acquitted in 2022, the extraordinary appeals court in Muttenz near Basel did not follow the recommendations of prosecutors who had requested suspended sentences of 20 months.

After almost 10 years of proceedings, a final appeal is still possible before the Swiss Federal Court, but only on limited legal grounds.

Blatter, 89, and Platini, 69, again appeared in court on charges stemming from a delayed payment of two million Swiss francs 1.8 million euros FIFA made to Platini in 2011 for consultancy services.

The legal saga shattered the careers of Blatter and former France captain and manager Platini, once among the most powerful figures in world football.