Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini have been acquitted of corruption charges by a Swiss appeals court, reaffirming their 2022 acquittal in a case that had derailed their football administration careers.

The Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, ruled on Tuesday that the two had no case to answer regarding allegations of fraud. Swiss federal prosecutors had sought to overturn the initial verdict, but the court upheld the previous decision.

The case revolved around a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.26 million/KSh 296 million) that Blatter approved for Platini in 2011. The amount was allegedly for consultancy work conducted between 1998 and 2002, which Platini argued had been partially deferred due to FIFA’s financial constraints at the time. Both men denied any wrongdoing.

Platini’s lawyer, Dominic Nellen, criticized the prolonged legal battle, stating that the case had inflicted serious personal and professional harm on his client. He emphasized that no incriminating evidence had been presented throughout the proceedings.

The corruption allegations emerged in 2015 while Platini was UEFA president, effectively ending his chances of succeeding Blatter as FIFA’s head. Meanwhile, Blatter, who had led world football’s governing body for 17 years, was forced to step down amid the scandal.

With this latest ruling, the long-running legal dispute appears to have reached its conclusion, reinforcing the men’s claims of innocence after years of scrutiny.

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