“I’m worth a million”

Platini became emotional. Shortly after Blatter had also vehemently denied the allegations in the joint trial, the accused former UEFA boss leaned forward on his gray chair. “What FIFA did to its president and me is a scandal. “I was called an account forger and a money launderer,” said the 66-year-old Frenchman angrily. “The goal was for everyone to know that I shouldn't be FIFA president. There is justice in life and I hope it comes out.”

“I will not answer questions from FIFA because the FIFA President has never answered me since March 2016,” Blatter replied, referring to Gianni Infantino, to a FIFA representative who is acting as a private plaintiff in the proceedings.

At the heart of the fraud accusation is a payment from FIFA of two million Swiss francs to Blatter's former advisor Platini in 2011. According to the indictment, Blatter is said to have unlawfully confirmed this plus social security contributions. “It is a delayed wage payment that is owed,” Blatter said. This went through all the necessary committees at the world association.

Joseph Blatter accompanied by his daughter Corinne Blatter (l.) and his lawyer Lorenz Erni (r.) © ANSA / ALESSANDRO CRINARI

After his election as FIFA boss in 1998, he agreed to work with Platini, Blatter reported. He told him: “I am worth a million.” In what currency? “I told him as a joke, pesetas, rubles or marks, it’s up to you to decide,” Platini reported.

In August 1999, a contract backdated to the beginning of the year was agreed, but only for a salary of 300.000 Swiss francs. When Platini pointed out that this was not the entire agreed sum, he said: “We’ll see about that later,” recalled Blatter. In 2011, Platini invoiced the sum to FIFA. Why so late? “It wasn’t vital for me,” Platini said of the payment. Why 800.000 francs less than agreed? “That’s me,” the former European champion replied with a laugh. "I was wrong." “This shock has lasted seven years now” Joseph Blatter Platini sat in the second row with his arms crossed as Blatter testified. A day after the 86-year-old's hearing was postponed due to health problems, he kept moving his hands across the table as he spoke. Blatter recalled that the first questioning by a public prosecutor in 2015 about the allegations shocked him. “This shock has lasted seven years now, this shock is still there.” At that time, he had already received the “maximum punishment” and was “outlawed” in the world. “The media gave me a criminal record,” said Blatter. Platini is surprised by the timing of the publication When the payment became public seven years ago, Platini's ambitions to succeed Blatter were also gone. “I happened to be a candidate for FIFA in 2015,” said the Frenchman. “It's unbelievable that it's coming up at this time.” Instead of Platini, former UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino became the new FIFA boss in 2016.

The questioning of the former public prosecutor at the Federal Prosecutor's Office, Olivier Thormann, was intended to clarify, among other things, where the investigators found out about the two million payment. Thormann stated that the information was obtained from then FIFA finance chief Markus Kattner during a search at FIFA in the wake of the 2015 scandal, alongside the salary statements of the then Executive Committee. Further witness statements are planned on Friday on the third of eleven days of the trial. A verdict is due to be handed down on July 8th.

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“I’m worth a million”

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