Saturday, 26 May 2018

Platini plots return but not cleared yet

Michel Platini is plotting a return to football but Swiss authorities have refuted his claims he has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

The Frenchman was banned from all football-related activities for eight years, later reduced to four years by The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), over a two million Swiss francs (£1.5m) payment FIFA made to him in 2011, with former chief Sepp Blatter's approval, for work done a decade earlier.

FIFA's ethics committee said the payment, made at a time when Blatter was seeking re-election, lacked transparency and presented conflicts of interest. Both men denied wrongdoing.

A criminal investigation was opened against Platini, but the former France captain said on Saturday he had been told by the Swiss authorities that had now been closed.
"After (three) years of investigation, the Public Ministry of the (Swiss) Confederation has just restored the truth by officially confirming that no charge has been at any time or will be in the future held against me in connection with my activities for FIFA," Platini said in a statement.

"This official information from an authority of justice attests definitely of my innocence."

However, on Saturday AFP reported Swiss prosecutors say Platini's case is "not completely over".
The 62-year-old added he and his family had been living a nightmare for the last three years.

"These years were difficult and painful," Platini said.

"My honour and integrity have been tarnished. I was robbed for three years of professional life.

"I will come back: where, when, how? It is too early to tell. But I will come back to football."

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