Michel Platini has taken legal action against Fifa and its current president Gianni Infantino, filing proceedings in the French courts over corruption allegations dating back to 2015 that he says deliberately derailed his campaign to become world football's governing body chief.
The former Uefa president, now 70, has pursued two separate legal tracks. The criminal complaint — filed in France — names Infantino alongside two former Fifa officials: legal director Marco Villiger and audit committee chair Domenico Scala. All three are accused of malicious prosecution. In a parallel civil lawsuit, Platini is seeking financial compensation from Fifa over what he characterises as a coordinated effort to prevent him winning the Fifa presidency.
What happened in 2015?
Platini had been widely considered the frontrunner to succeed Sepp Blatter as Fifa president ahead of the 2016 election. That changed in 2015 when both men were engulfed in allegations of fraud and corruption centred on a payment of 2 million Swiss francs — roughly £1.6m — made to Platini in 2011 and reportedly authorised by Blatter.
The fallout was swift and severe. Blatter resigned from Fifa. Platini was banned for eight years by Fifa's ethics committee (subsequently reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport), effectively ending his presidential ambitions. Infantino, who had served as general secretary of Uefa under Platini, went on to replace Blatter at the top of the global game.
Cleared in 2025 — now pursuing the architects
The critical context here is what happened in March 2025. Both Platini and Blatter were cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss federal criminal appeals court, a ruling that vindicated their long-standing position that the original allegations were unfounded. It is that acquittal that appears to have given Platini the platform — and the legal footing — to go on the offensive.
By naming Infantino specifically in the criminal complaint, Platini is essentially arguing that the then-Uefa general secretary, who stood to benefit most directly from his superior's political destruction, was implicated in the campaign against him. That is a significant allegation, and Fifa has been contacted for comment (at the time of writing, no response had been issued).
A long shadow over football governance
This case matters beyond the personal grievances of one former official. The 2015 scandal reshaped the entire landscape of football's leadership. Had the allegations not emerged — or had Platini been cleared at the time rather than a decade later — the trajectory of both Fifa and Uefa could have looked very different.
The market, for what it is worth, has never shown much appetite for betting on the outcome of football governance disputes. But for anyone interested in how power is accumulated and wielded at the top of the sport, these proceedings represent perhaps the most direct legal challenge yet to the Infantino era.
Platini was a three-time Ballon d'Or winner as a player and served as Uefa president from 2008 to 2015. He has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the nine-year saga. Whether French courts will agree that the prosecution against him was malicious — and whether Infantino personally bears any responsibility for it — is now a question for the legal process to answer.
Frequently asked
- Why is Platini suing Fifa now?
- Platini was cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss federal criminal appeals court in March 2025. That acquittal has given him the legal basis to pursue action for what he claims was malicious prosecution — proceedings he argues were designed to stop him becoming Fifa president.
- What was the 2015 payment controversy involving Platini and Blatter?
- A payment of 2 million Swiss francs (around £1.6m) made to Platini in 2011, reportedly authorised by Sepp Blatter, triggered fraud and corruption allegations against both men in 2015. Platini was banned for eight years (later cut to four), ending his Fifa presidential bid. Both were ultimately cleared in 2025.
- What happened to Infantino after Platini was banned?
- Infantino was serving as Uefa general secretary under Platini when the allegations broke. After Blatter resigned and Platini was barred from standing, Infantino entered the race and was elected Fifa president in 2016 — a position he continues to hold.