In July 2022, a Swiss Federal Criminal Court (FCC) found former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini not guilty, following charges of corruption brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG). The fraud trial centred around an allegedly unlawful payment of about CHF 2 million made by FIFA to Mr Platini in 2011. Both men had consistently denied any wrongdoing. The investigation into the payment between the pair, who were once considered two of the most powerful men in world football, was initiated as part of the wide-scale corruption scandal that rocked FIFA in mid-2015.

The acquittals are unlikely to be the end of the saga, given the likelihood of a launched appeal by the OAG. There are however some key takeaways from the investigation and the subsequent trial. In addition, perhaps just as many questions have now come to the fore in the aftermath of the verdict.

In this article for LawInSport, Keith Oliver and Stefan Ansah discuss:

• The post-match analysis – and why the case is a hotbed of corruption allegations
• Details of the investigation
• What the court thought of the principle of a retrospective payment
• Whether this is the end of the matter
• Why the UK appears to be on the sidelines
• Whether it is time for a second leg

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