October 21 – FIFA is not joining Swiss prosecutors in appealing to overturn last summer’s acquittals of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini on corruption charges, according to reports.
Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, and Platini, the one-time UEFA boss who courted and coveted Blatter’s job but never got it, were acquitted of defrauding FIFA in July.
The verdict followed an 11-day trial at the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland in Bellinzona and centred around the so-called $2 million “disloyal payment” from FIFA to Platini with Blatter’s approval in 2011, for work done a decade earlier.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) confirmed on Wednesday it had filed an appeal to bring the pair back to court.
But FIFA is reported as confirming it is not intending to challenge the summer ruling by Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court.
“We therefore leave it to the Swiss authorities to pursue this case,” FIFA was quoted as saying.
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