Former UEFA president Michel Platini has launched civil and criminal legal proceedings against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, over corruption allegations that emerged in 2015 and ended his bid to lead world football.
The 70-year-old former France captain has filed a criminal complaint in French courts accusing Infantino, former FIFA legal director Marco Villiger and former audit committee chairman Domenico Scala of malicious prosecution.
In a separate civil case, Platini is seeking financial compensation from FIFA, alleging that efforts were made to block his path to the FIFA presidency ahead of the 2016 election.
According to BBC Sport, Platini believes the allegations that surfaced against him derailed a campaign that had positioned him as the leading contender to succeed former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Platini served as UEFA president from 2008 to 2015 and was widely regarded as the favourite to take over the leadership of FIFA following the crisis that engulfed the organisation.
His ambitions collapsed after he and Blatter became embroiled in controversy surrounding a payment of two million Swiss francs, equivalent to about £1.6 million, made to Platini in 2011.
The payment, which was reportedly authorised by Blatter, later became the focus of a corruption investigation that shook global football and contributed to Blatter’s resignation.
The fallout also led to FIFA’s ethics committee imposing an eight-year ban on Platini from football activities. The sanction was later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Both Platini and Blatter subsequently faced criminal proceedings in Switzerland over the payment.
However, a Swiss federal criminal appeals court cleared both men of corruption allegations in March 2025, bringing an end to the long-running criminal case.
Infantino, who previously served as UEFA general secretary under Platini, went on to succeed Blatter as FIFA president following the 2016 election.
The latest legal action opens a fresh chapter in one of football’s longest-running governance disputes and places renewed attention on events surrounding FIFA’s leadership transition more than a decade ago.
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