The acquittal of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini still damages the ex-officials and fuels suspicions about FIFA. A comment.
What could you expect from this process? Really the big cleaning? Actually enlightenment and transparency? An unclouded look behind the scenes of the world football association FIFA? Rather not. In the end it’s the same as always. There are hardly any facts, no evidence, an acquittal of two powerful ex-officials and plenty of rumors and suspicions in a complex power network of interests and dependencies.
The original core question of the process: What did the then FIFA President Sepp Blatter pay the former UEFA boss Michel Platini two million Swiss francs for?, fades to an almost insignificant detail. Both Blatter and Platini claim that the payment was agreed verbally and was for Platini’s consulting work between 1998 and 2002. The public prosecutor’s office had doubted that and called for a sentence on probation. The federal court did not agree. Perhaps satisfaction for Blatter and Platini, but this verdict does not make up for their inglorious departure from the world football stage.
Platini victim of a plot?
FIFA must now accept new, uncomfortable questions. How was the ethics committee able to block the two most powerful men in world football so quickly in 2015 and thus seal their end from world football when the judiciary cannot even prove criminal behavior in a court of law?
The acquittal supports Michel Platini’s thesis. The Frenchman has been talking about a conspiracy for years. In fact, the most exciting question is still: Who made this payment of two million Swiss francs to the Swiss judiciary in 2015 and thus got the investigations rolling in the first place? Who was interested?
Blatter’s successor as FIFA President was then-UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, who replaced Platini. He is still in office today.
The suspicion that current FIFA President Gianni Infantino could be behind all of this remains. Meetings with Swiss investigators are proven. Infantino undoubtedly benefited from the investigation. As UEFA General Secretary, he was able to overtake his boss Michel Platini, then UEFA President and designated Fifa President.
Toothless Swiss judiciary?
In the course of the process, however, the Swiss judiciary also came more and more into focus. How independent are the investigators? Were they instrumentalized? Led and informed by Infantino to eliminate two opponents?
The fact is, the pressure on the Swiss judiciary has been great for years. All the investigations against FIFA have already cost too much time and money and the earnings have always been too meager. Investigations into the awarding of the world championships after Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018 were announced with great enthusiasm. What was the result? Nothing. And now the six-year investigation into Platini and Blatter has ended in acquittal. Not a good testimonial.
The search for answers continues
Infantino’s record ascent to the top of FIFA, the abolition of all independent structures of the federation, a lot raises questions. The trial in Bellinzona did not help. The search for answers continues. Special investigators are examining the questionable proximity of the FIFA boss to the federal prosecutor’s office. The investigation is ongoing. What will come out of it? Like always: nothing.
