Former UEFA President Michel Platini has launched legal proceedings in France against current FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing him of malicious prosecution and influence peddling in the case that ultimately derailed his career at the helm of European football.
In a statement sent to AFP, Platini detailed that he has also targeted two former FIFA executives, Marco Villiger and Domenico Scala—respectively the former legal director and former chairman of the audit committee. Platini holds them co-responsible for actively blocking his ascent to the FIFA presidency in 2015.
The 70-year-old French football legend and former coach had previously filed two separate complaints with Swiss authorities—one in 2018 against unknown persons for malicious prosecution, and another in 2021 against Infantino for influence peddling. However, the first fell past the statute of limitations, and the second was closed without action in October 2025.
Platini also announced his intention to pursue a civil lawsuit against FIFA to seek full financial compensation for all damages suffered as a result of internal maneuvers designed to block his election as head of world football’s governing body over a decade ago.
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The Frenchman firmly believes that Infantino—who previously served as his right-hand man and general secretary at UEFA—alongside Villiger and Scala, conspired to exclude him from the presidential race through completely groundless accusations tied to an alleged corruption probe regarding a 2 million Swiss francs payment. Platini was definitively cleared of all fraud and forgery charges by Swiss federal courts last year.
Platini’s forced removal from the 2015 election, where he was widely considered the front-runner to succeed Sepp Blatter, cleared the path for Infantino’s unexpected victory in February 2016. The Swiss executive has since been re-elected unopposed in both 2019 and 2023.
