Former UEFA President Michel Platini Detained In Paris Amid 2022 World Cup Corruption Investigation

by Jason HirschJune 19, 2019, 10:10 amDaily Digest, News >

Trouble in Paris Tuesday morning for former UEFA President, Michel Platini, who the French police detained amid an ongoing corruption investigation into Qatar’s 2022 World Cup hosting bid. While Platini denies any wrongdoing, ESPN FC judicial sources confirmed that Platini is being held for questioning.

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Platini’s PR team has released a statement saying: “Michel Platini expresses himself serenely and precisely, answering all the questions, including those on the conditions for the awarding of Euro 2016, and has provided useful explanations.”

Following his detainment on Tuesday, French police took Platini to a cell at the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police, located in the Western suburbs of Paris. Platini served as the President of UEFA from 2007 to 2015. Before working for UEFA, Platini gained notoriety playing as the No. 10 for both the Italian club Juventus and the French national team. Reports suggest that Platini played a major part in influencing FIFA to award Qatar as the host for the 2022 World Cup.

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Platini’s lawyer released a statement earlier today saying that his client, “has nothing to feel guilty about and maintained that he is totally uninvolved with those events that are beyond him.”

In their winning bid for the 2022 Wolrd Cup, Qatar beat out the likes of Australia, the United States of America, South Korea and Japan, thus raising eyebrows all across the world.

UEFA fired Platini back in 2015 after receiving payment of over 2 million francs from then-FIFA President, Sepp Blatter. Platini fought hard to reduce the eight-year ban imposed on him by FIFA, and last May became cleared of all wrongdoings regarding the 2022 World Cup bids. One would imagine a new ban will be enforced now, regardless of the outcome of Platini’s detainment.

On June 5, current FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, “Today, on an election day, nobody talks about crisis. Nobody talks about rebuilding FIFA from scratch. Nobody talks about scandals. Nobody talks about corruption.”