FIFA NEWS: FIFA statement on European Court of Human Rights’ decision concerning Michel Platini

Michel Platini: suspension from football-related professional activity was justified - (prezydent.pl - Photo))

The European Court of Human Rights to reject the appeal of Mr. Platini, which the Court considered to be manifestly ill-founded. This judgment is in line with the decision of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. FIFA will continue to seek restitution of the CHF 2 million unduly paid by former FIFA President Joseph Blatter to Mr. Platini back in February 2011

Zurich, Switzerland

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

FIFA has taken note of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to reject the appeal of Mr. Platini, which the Court considered to be manifestly ill-founded. This judgment is in line with the decision of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. FIFA will continue to seek restitution of the CHF 2 million unduly paid by former FIFA President Joseph Blatter to Mr. Platini back in February 2011

05.03.2020

Michel Platini: suspension from football-related professional activity was justified.

In its decision in the case of Platini v. Switzerland (application no. 526/18) the European Court of Human Rights has unanimously declared the application inadmissible. The decision is final.

The case concerned Michel Platini, a former professional football player, president of UEFA and vice-president of FIFA. Disciplinary proceedings had been brought against him in respect of a salary “supplement” of 2 million Swiss francs (CHF), received in 2011 in the context of a verbal contract between him and FIFA’s former President. He was suspended from any football-related professional activity for four years and fined CHF 60,000.

The Court found in particular that, having regard to the seriousness of the misconduct, the senior position held by Mr Platini in football’s governing bodies and the need to restore the reputation of the sport and of FIFA, the sanction did not appear excessive or arbitrary. The domestic bodies had taken account of all the interests at stake in confirming the measure taken by FIFA, subsequently reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Lastly, the Court noted that the applicant had been afforded the domestic institutional and procedural safeguards allowing him to challenge FIFA’s decision and submit his arguments in his defence.

Principal facts

In 2015, after a preliminary investigation, the FIFA authorities initiated disciplinary proceedings in respect of an alleged salary supplement of 2 million Swiss francs (CHF) that Mr Platini had received in 2011, in the context of a verbal contract between him and FIFA’s President, for activities as adviser between 1998 and 2002.

The applicant was initially given an eight-year suspension from all football-related activities at national and international levels and was fined CHF 80,000 by the adjudicatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee. The sanction was upheld by the FIFA Appeal Committee, which reduced the length of the suspension to six years.

The applicant appealed against this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He alleged, in particular, that the Articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics relied upon had not been applicable at the time of the relevant acts and that the sanction appeared excessive. The CAS rejected this complaint but reduced the suspension period from six years to four and the fine from CHF 80,000 to CHF 60,000.

The applicant lodged a civil-law appeal against the CAS decision before the Swiss Federal Court, which upheld that decision, holding that, in view of the applicant’s age (61 in 2015), the length of the suspension did not appear excessive.

Related story: FIFA Appeal Committee rejects appeals by Blatter & Platini