Blatter and Platini Cleared Again: Swiss Court Acquits Soccer Icons

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been acquitted by a Swiss court in a corruption case, following an appeal against their 2022 acquittal. The charges involved a payment to Platini in 2011. Both men, previously influential football leaders, denied any wrongdoing, maintaining their innocence in the case.

Sepp Blatter, former FIFA President, and Michel Platini, a legendary figure in French soccer, have once again been cleared of corruption charges. A Swiss court delivered the verdict on Tuesday, solidifying their innocence two and a half years after their initial acquittal.

The case was brought back into the legal spotlight after Swiss federal prosecutors appealed the pair's 2022 exoneration by a lower court. The appeal led to another trial at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court, located in Muttenz, near Basel.

The charges centered around a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26 million) payment made to Platini in 2011, which both men consistently denied as fraudulent. Their acquittal reaffirms Blatter and Platini's positions as once powerful figures in international football.

(With inputs from agencies.)