In 2015, Interpol unleashed an anti-corruption storm that swept the world, taking aim at FIFA and its closest partners. Unexpectedly, the first person to fall was Blatter, then president of FIFA, as a football giant who ran FIFA for 17 years, this Old Swiss man had made great contributions to the development of football. Especially since the beginning of the 21st century, the influence of football has been expanding day by day, and the World Cup has become the most concerned sports event, and Blatter has contributed a lot. Former UEFA president Platini, who was Blatter's loyal partner, was also investigated, and the two were banned from football for 8 years.
Now, the 8-year ban is about to expire, but that doesn't mean Blatter and Platini can return to football, they also have to pay for their own violations. Recently, Blatter has appeared in court and faces up to 5 years in prison if the crime is conclusive. For Blatter, who is 86 years old, he needs help to even walk, and if he is sentenced to prison, he may not be able to spend his 90th birthday alive. Platini's situation is similar, he may also be sentenced to 5 years in prison, two football giants who once influenced the development of world football face prison, which is the great trial of the century.
Blatter has a rich resume, early as a player, later in several Swiss institutions, but also ran a business, in 1975 into FIFA, in 40 years, gradually turned FIFA into a tool for his personal gain. Platini was a football superstar, winning the Ballon d'Or three times, and before Zidane's appearance, he was arguably the greatest footballer in French history. In the late 1990s, After saying goodbye to the green field and briefly serving as a coach, he found himself better suited to politics and entered the football department, where he was hired as a consultant to Blatter in 1999.
From then on, Blatter was tied to Platini, who was also elected president of UEFA with Blatter's support. For nearly 20 years, Blatter and Platini dominated the development of world football and bred a lot of corruption. Blatter was arrested for paying Platini 2 million francs in violation of the law, and although the two claimed to have agreed verbally and paid salaries normally, they could not produce any evidence and were not approved by the police. In addition, in large-scale projects such as the Swiss Football Museum and grassroots football, Blatter has also committed many corrupt acts, and the total amount involved has already exceeded 100 million euros.
In addition to the suspected corruption, the two were also involved in the Qatar World Cup bribery case, Platini originally supported the United States, but after a meal with the Middle East oil tycoons, he changed his mind and voted for Qatar, and it has always been believed that the Qatari sheikh spent money to buy the world cup hosting rights, and Platini and his behind-the-scenes supporters Blatter have received a lot of benefits. According to the schedule, the trial will last until June 22, when several judges will announce the verdict on July 8, and the answer will be revealed whether Blatter and Platini will be imprisoned or freed.