Appeal trial of Blatter and Platini to take place in March 2025

The appeal trial of former football officials Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini over suspicion of fraud will take place in March 2025, Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen told dpa on Tuesday.

According to his statement, the hearing at an extraordinary court of appeal is scheduled for March 3-25 in Muttenz near Basel.

Blatter, 88, former president of the world governing body FIFA, and Platini 69, former head of the European football ruling body UEFA, were acquitted of fraud charges in 2022. The prosecution accused Blatter of unlawfully awarding Platini a payment of 2 million francs ($2.3 million).

According to the two defendants, the sum concerned outstanding payments from a verbal agreement concerning Platini's consultancy work.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland saw no legal basis for the payment, but the Swiss Federal Criminal Court ruled "in dubio pro reo" - the defendants were not convicted by the court as doubts about their guilt remained.

The Office of the Attorney General then appealed the decision.