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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Sport
Paul Myers

Swiss prosecutors want 20-month conditional jail terms for Blatter and Platini

Sepp Blatter (left) and Michel Platini (right) who were once the respective heads of world and European football's governing bodies, deny a charge of fraud. AFP/File

Prosecutors have urged federal criminal court judges in Switzerland to hand down 20-month conditional prison sentences on Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for fraud.

Platini, 66, became the head of European football's governing body Uefa in 2007 following a glittering career on the pitch, in which he won the most prestigious individual and team awards.

The former France skipper is accused of receiving an undocumented payment of 2 million Swiss francs in 2011 from Blatter who was the boss of world football's ruling body Fifa.

Blatter, 86, and Platini deny any wrongdoing.

'Gentleman's agreement'

During eight days of hearings at the trial in Bellinzona, south-eastern Switzerland, the court was told Blatter validated Platini's invoice in early 2011 - nearly nine years after the end of his four-year role as an adviser to Blatter.

No documents or contracts were signed to sanction the payment. Prosecutors say it was an illegal deal.

Blatter claims the men had made "a gentleman's agreement" over the sum which was to be paid on top of Platini's annual salary of 300,000 Swiss francs.

In June 2015, Blatter announced his plan to resign early as president in the fallout from an American-led corruption investigation.

A separate but related case by Swiss prosecutors led to the Platini payment being investigated.

Blatter and Platini are expected to make closing statements at the end of the trial on 22 June, with the panel of judges to deliver their verdict on the same day.

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