Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his then Technical Advisor Michel Platini who also headed UEFA have been acquitted on charges of defrauding world football governing body FIFA by a Swiss criminal court.
Swiss prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand had requested a 20-month suspended sentence for each at the end of the trial at the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland in Bellinzona.
Former French football legend and ex-UEFA president Platini said in a statement on Friday:
“Following the decision of the judges of the Court of Bellinzona, this morning, I wanted to express my happiness for all my loved ones that justice has finally been done after seven years of lies and manipulation.
The truth has come to light during this trial.
“I kept saying it: my fight is a fight against injustice. I won a first game. In this case, there are culprits who did not appear during this trial. Let them count on me, we will meet again. Because I will not give up and I will go all the way in my quest for truth.”
The case was centred around a two million dollar (£1.6 million) payment from FIFA to Platini with former FIFA president Blatter’s approval in 2011, for work carried out a decade earlier.
