Blatter denies payments to Platini were fraudulent

Blatter
and
Platini
were
last
year
charged
with
fraud
and
other
offences
by
Swiss
authorities
relating
to
a
payment
of
2million
Swiss
francs
made
by
world
football’s
governing
body
to
the
ex-UEFA
chief
in
2011.

The
trial
at
the
Federal
Criminal
Court
in
Bellinzona
was
due
to
start
on
Wednesday,
but
Blatter
was
unable
to
attend
as
he
was
suffering
from
chest
pains.

Blatter
provided
his
testimony
on
Thursday,
stating
he
asked
former
France
captain
Platini
to
work
for
FIFA
as
an
advisor
when
he
was
elected
as
president
in
1998.

The
86-year-old
said
the
governing
body
could
not
afford
the
CHF
1m
per
year
Platini
asked
for
but
agreed
to
pay
him
CHF
300,000
a
year,
with
the
remaining
cash
to
be
settled
up
at
a
later
date.

Blatter
said
in
court:
“I
knew
when
we
started
with
Michel
Platini
that
is
not
the
total,
and
we
would
look
at
it
later,”

He
stated
that
they
shook
hands
on
a
“gentleman’s
agreement”.

Blatter
added:
“It
was
an
agreement
between
two
sportsmen.
I
found
nothing
wrong
with
that.”

Platini
said:
“I
trusted
the
president
and
knew
he
would
pay
me
one
day.”

The
66-year-old
Platini
told
the
court
he
did
not
need
the
money
he
was
owed
when
he
stopped
working
for
FIFA
in
2002,
a
time
when
Blatter
claimed
the
governing
body
was
“broke”.

It
was
not
until
January
2011
he
asked
FIFA
to
pay
up
after
hearing
two
former
employees
had
received
substantial
payments,
and
Platini
revealed
he
was
paid
10
days
after
sending
an
invoice,
with
Blatter
approving
the
transfer.

Blatter
was
originally
banned
from
footballing
activities
for
eight
years,
reduced
to
six,
by
FIFA
in
2015
following
an
Ethics
Committee
investigation
that
described
the
payment
as
“disloyal”.
Platini
was
also
given
an
eight-year
suspension,
which
was
later
reduced.

Swiss
Blatter
has
been
charged
with
fraud,
misappropriation,
criminal
mismanagement
and
forgery
of
a
document.
Platini
has
been
charged
with
fraud,
participating
in
misappropriation,
participating
in
criminal
mismanagement
and
forgery
of
a
document.

Both
Blatter
and
Platini
deny
any
wrongdoing.
The
case
continues.