The legend of European football, former UEFA president Michel Platini, is once again in the spotlight. In an interview with journalists last week, the former French leader made a sharp statement about the events related to FIFA and called himself a "victim of the Swiss mafia."
According to Platini, the accusations against him were a deliberately fabricated scenario, and the main goal was to deprive him of the opportunity to become FIFA president.
"FIFA issued insulting and false accusations against me. They sacrificed me to stop me from running for president. As a player and manager, I worked only with pure affection, but someone didn't like it," Platini said.
As a reminder, in 2015, Platini was accused of receiving 2 million Swiss francs from then-FIFA president Joseph Blatter. This situation closed his chances of running for FIFA president and suspended his activities for a long time.
However, in 2025, the Swiss Court of Appeal fully acquitted Platini and Blatter of corruption charges. After the court's decision, he stated:
"The most difficult years of my life have finally ended. Football was not just a job for me, but a dream. But they took it away from me. I've never been involved in corruption - I'm just someone who loves football."
Platini stated that he currently has no intention of returning to FIFA leadership, but he confidently asserted that the truth will certainly be fully revealed one day.
"My dream was to make FIFA a clean, transparent, and fair organization. However, some forces did not want this. "They seemed to win at that moment, but they can't hide the truth forever," he said.
Journalists considered Platini's statement to be one of the most controversial statements in football history. Because for the first time, he spoke openly about the "shadow system" within FIFA.
Platini led UEFA from 2007 to 2015 and is remembered for reforms in European football, the new format of League champions, and the introduction of a financial fair play system. Thanks to his initiatives, UEFA ensured financial stability and created an equal competitive environment between clubs.
At the same time, he continues to comment on the state of football institutions in Europe. Recently, Platini also spoke harshly about large funds, political influence, and transparency issues in football.
Although many don't believe in his return, it's impossible to erase Platini's name from football history. His playing style, leadership skills, and faith in honesty still keep him a legend for millions of fans.
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