Now that everyone knows that Gianni Infantino is at least a greedy asshole, the time seems perfect for French football legend Michel Platini to seek redress.
Michel Platini has taken out a criminal complaint in Paris against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He accuses Infantino of active influence buying and of spreading false accusations related to the events that put an end to Platini’s FIFA presidential campaign in 2015. The former UEFA boss is also shining a spotlight on two former FIFA officials, while trying to clear his own name and demand accountability.
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Platini takes legal action after the outcome in 2015
Platini has taken out a criminal complaint in Paris against Infantino, according to a statement sent to AFP. The complaint is about active influence buying and spreading false accusations related to the circumstances surrounding Platini’s fall in 2015. The former UEFA president has also mentioned FIFA’s former legal director Marco Villiger and former chairman of the audit and compliance committee Domenico Scala in the complaint.
Platini wants to investigate what he claims were maneuvers designed to prevent him from being elected FIFA president. The legal action is the latest chapter in a conflict that has persisted since the events that effectively put an end to Platini’s ambitions to succeed Sepp Blatter as head of the World Football Association.
Platini demands responsibility for alleged actions
Platini’s legal team has stated that they intend to prove that a coordinated effort was made to damage his reputation and block his path to the FIFA presidency. In addition to the criminal complaint in France, the Frenchman is preparing a lawsuit against FIFA to claim compensation for losses he believes are a result of the investigation by the ethics committee.
The former France international reportedly believes that he was the victim of a smear campaign that changed the course of football management. Through the new legal proceedings, Platini is trying to clear his name and identify those he believes were responsible for his removal from the football administration.
A conflict with roots in the 2015 payment investigation
The origin of the case goes back to a payment of two million Swiss francs made to Platini in 2011, approved by the then FIFA president Blatter. The payment was allegedly linked to consultancy work carried out between 1998 and 2002, but the delay in payment later attracted the attention of investigators.
When the details of the transaction were made public in 2015, both Platini and Blatter received lengthy bans from all football-related activities. At the time, Platini was considered the leading candidate to succeed Blatter as FIFA president. His withdrawal from the race paved the way for Infantino, who was then UEFA Secretary General, to win the FIFA presidential election in February 2016. Infantino has since been re-elected twice with no opposing candidates.
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