Sepp Blatter unable to testify amid “difficulty breathing” at FIFA fraud trial

Published 15:32 8 Jun 2022 BST

Daniel Brown

Sepp Blatter unable to testify amid “difficulty breathing” at FIFA fraud trial

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Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were due to go on trial on Wednesday

Sepp Blatter was unable to give evidence on the first day of his fraud trial in Switzerland’s federal court owing to chest pains, with judges moving his testimony to tomorrow. The former FIFA president and ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini could face five-year jail sentences if found guilty in a case brought by the Swiss Attorney General relating to a payment of 2m Swiss Francs (CHF) that was allegedly illegally made by FIFA to Platini in 2011. Both men deny the charges. They say that the transfer was 'belated payment' to former France captain Platini was for his advisory work for Fifa between 1998 and 2002. Blatter is accused of "fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document". Meanwhile, Platini is accused of "fraud, misappropriation, participating in criminal mismanagement as an accomplice and forgery of a document". https://twitter.com/SkyFootball/status/1534520620553228289

Blatter had 'difficulty breathing'

Speaking at the trial, Blatter, who has been suffering from poor health since heart surgery in late 2020, said: "The pain will come back and I am having difficulty breathing. Judges at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona allowed the 86-year-old to make his testimony on Thursday instead of Wednesday. The two men were banned from football in 2015 and were indicted in November last year. On Wednesday, lawyers for Blatter and Platini attempted to move the trial to a local court and dismiss FIFA's civil claim against them to recoup the 2m Swiss francs. However, the lawyers failed and the trial will continue on Thursday.