They think it’s all over? Swiss Criminal Court’s appeal decision in Blatter & Platini corruption saga
For the second time in nearly three years, former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, and former UEFA president, Michel Platini, have been acquitted of corruption charges brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG). The Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in the town of Muttenz, near Basel, handed down its verdict[1] on 25 March 2025 following the OAG’s appeal against the decision[2] of the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC) to acquit the pair in July 2022.
The fraud trial centred on an allegedly unlawful payment of about CHF 2 million (£1.6 million) made by FIFA to Mr Platini in 2011 for consultancy services he provided to Mr Blatter several years earlier. The OAG sought prison sentences of 20 months, suspended for two years. Both men consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. The recent acquittals are the latest chapter in the long-running investigations into what is widely acknowledged to be the biggest scandal the football world has witnessed.
Now, Mr Blatter and Mr Platini find themselves vindicated and ready to move on with their lives. But as the smoke clears and the dust settles, what have we learned from this saga? And what does the future hold for two figures who have been synonymous with the game in recent times?
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- Tags: Anti-Corruption | FIFA | Football | Fraud | Governance | Integrity | Investigations | Switzerland
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Written by
Keith Oliver
Keith is Peters & Peters’ Head of International and one of the firm's key partners. He trained at the firm and, following qualification in 1980, was appointed partner in 1983. He has frontline experience at the cutting edge of international fraud litigation, asset recovery and disputes with a focus on achieving the very best result for every client whatever the challenge.
David Fitzpatrick
David is a Senior Associate Commercial Litigation and Civil Fraud department at Peters & Peters . David acts for clients in complex commercial disputes, often with an international focus. He has worked on a number of high-profile cases in various industries, including technology, financial services and sport.
Stefan Ansah
Stefan is an Associate in the Commercial Litigation, Civil Fraud and Asset Tracing department at Peters & Peters. Since joining the department, Stefan has worked on a range of High Court litigation disputes. Some of Stefan’s significant cases involved a substantial competition law damages claim brought by the Department of Health, a complex commercial tax litigation involving multiple parties, defending claims of fraudulent misrepresentations and seeking urgent interim remedies. Stefan joined the firm as a paralegal in 2016 before he began his training contract in 2019. Stefan qualified as a solicitor in 2021.
