Former UEFA president Michel Platini has launched both civil and criminal legal proceedings against FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, escalating a long-running dispute over events that derailed his bid to lead world football nearly a decade ago.
According to statements from Platini’s legal team, reported by Reuters, a criminal complaint filed in Paris accuses Infantino, former FIFA legal director Marco Villiger and former FIFA audit committee chairman Domenico Scala of malicious prosecution and influence peddling.
The French football great has also filed a separate civil lawsuit against FIFA in Switzerland, seeking financial compensation for what his lawyers describe as actions that prevented him from succeeding Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.
The legal action stems from a payment of 2 million Swiss francs made to Platini by FIFA. The payment, authorised by then-president Blatter in 2011, became the focus of investigations in 2015 as FIFA was facing intense scrutiny over governance and corruption issues.
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At the time, Platini was widely regarded as the leading candidate to replace Blatter at the head of world football. However, disciplinary proceedings launched by FIFA’s ethics committee resulted in sanctions against both men over what the governing body described as a “disloyal payment”, effectively ending Platini’s campaign.
The developments ultimately cleared the way for Infantino, who had served as UEFA general secretary under Platini, to win the FIFA presidential election in early 2016. He has remained in the position ever since.
Platini and Blatter consistently denied wrongdoing throughout the legal process. In March 2025, a Swiss federal criminal appeals court upheld their acquittals on fraud and forgery-related charges connected to the payment, bringing the criminal case to a close.
Following that ruling, Platini said he believed the proceedings had been intended to prevent him from becoming FIFA president and acknowledged that, at the age of 70, a return to football administration was no longer realistic.
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The complaint filed in France reportedly asks investigators to examine the conduct of FIFA officials and determine whether Swiss prosecutors improperly coordinated with football’s governing body during the original investigation.
The latest legal challenge arrives as FIFA prepares for the start of the expanded World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, a tournament expected to draw global attention to the organisation and its leadership.
FIFA has previously denied wrongdoing in its handling of the 2015 case. Neither FIFA nor Infantino immediately commented on the latest allegations.
Sources: Reuters
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