Overview
- Platini’s lawyers lodged criminal and civil complaints in Paris that were made public Monday, asking French judges to investigate alleged wrongdoing tied to the 2015 episode.
- The criminal complaint accuses Gianni Infantino and former FIFA officials of malicious prosecution and influence peddling and names ex-FIFA legal director Marco Villiger and audit chair Domenico Scala among the targets.
- The separate civil suit seeks financial compensation from FIFA for the damage Platini says he suffered after a 2 million Swiss franc payment surfaced in 2015 and led to ethics sanctions that ended his presidential bid.
- FIFA has been contacted for comment and has previously denied wrongdoing while Infantino publicly defended the organisation as he faced reporters on the eve of the World Cup.
- The move revives a decade-long governance fight that includes prior Swiss trials and acquittals and could sharpen legal and reputational scrutiny of FIFA during the tournament and in courts across jurisdictions.