The name of the Italian-Swiss with a smooth skull did not take long to ring out in the courtroom of the Federal Criminal Court (TPF) in Bellinzona, this Monday morning, when the proceedings resumed. “FIFA and its boss Gianni Infantino have done everything to ensure that the federal prosecutor’s office definitively dismisses Michel Platini, in order to prevent him from being able to challenge him for the position of boss of world football”, launched in the introduction of his pleading Me Dominic Nellen, the German-speaking lawyer of the former French president of UEFA, before the three judges of the court of criminal cases of the TPF. After a week of absence, “Platoche” is back in court. He took his place in the row behind the one occupied by Sepp Blatter and his counsel, Me Lorenz Erni.

Pulling on the ball of a thesis of the “conspiracy” put forward by the Platini camp, but castigated by the federal prosecutor’s office and FIFA (civil party to the trial), Me Nellen, who pleads “the acquittal” of his famous client, also asked the judges of the TPF to “to render a judgment which refuses the instrumentalization of the justice of our country [la Suisse] by an institution like FIFA”.

Twenty-month suspended prison sentence required for Platini and Blatter

Another way to fuel suspicions of collusion between the world body and Swiss magistrates. ” We therefore do not know today why and how this criminal procedure began. Due to a payment made in 2011, which only became attractive again when the position of FIFA President became vacant in 2015”continued Me Nellen, whose argument should last a little less than four hours.

In this trial for suspicion of “fraud, breach of trust, unfair management, and forgery in the titles”, a twenty-month suspended sentence was requested by the Swiss public prosecutor’s office, on June 15, against Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter.