Football: Ex-FIFA boss Blatter rejects fraud in court

The former President of the FIFA World Federation Association, Joseph Blatter (88) sits in court as a defendant and no longer understands the world. “When you talk about counterfeits and lies and fraud, that’s not me – it doesn’t exist in my whole life,” asserts the once most powerful football official in the world.

Like the then President of the European Football Union (UEFA), Michel Platini (69), Blatter is charged. Among other things, it is about fraud and embezzlement when paying two million francs from the FIFA fund to Platini. Both assert their innocence. They were acquitted in 2022, but the public prosecutor’s office appealed. The judgment is expected on March 25th.

Blatter approved the payment as FIFA president in 2011. Was that bribery? Corruption? According to Blatter and Platini, it was a fee for consultant services. But they had already taken place ten years earlier. The basis was an oral contract from the end of the 1990s, both say. The FIFA initially lacked the money to pay it according to agreement, said Platini. When the FIFA finances looked rosier, he asserted his claims.

The Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona had both acquitted “in Dubio Pro Reo” in 2022 – in case of doubt for the accused. The public prosecutor’s office had not been able to convince the court that the money was actually not paid for past advisory activities.

“An oral contract remains an oral contract,” said Blatter of the German Press Agency before the negotiation. “This was not a payment under the table, but was billed according to the principles that exist at FIFA.” The procedure was moved to Muttenz for the bias of the criminal court’s appellate court.

Blatter and Platini only want to accept acquittal

For Blatter, only confirmation of the acquittal is acceptable. “If it comes negative, I have to collect energy, then we go to appeal,” he said. Platini also announced through his lawyer: “My client fully denies the allegations of the federal prosecutor.”

FIFA started the entire process in 2015 with an advertisement. It was turbulent times at the World Football Association, against which several corruption investigation ran. Blatter had only been elected for a further term at the age of 79 at the age of 79, then announced his retreat shortly afterwards. It was ranged for his successor. After the advertisement, Blatter and Platini were blocked by a FIFA ethics committee for several years. So that Plati’s dream burst to succeed Blatter. Instead, his rival Gianni Infantino came into play.

FIFA remains away from an appeal negotiation

FIFA was a co -plaintiff in the trial and wanted to have her money back. The two million francs plus social security contributions were collected and frozen, according to the lawyer of Platis accounts. However, because the FIFA did not submit any timely applications and was apologized to the procedure in Muttenz, the court decided that it was no longer involved as a co -plaintiff.