Michel Platini in 2015. He was suspended from soccer for four years for ethics violations. (Laurent Gillieron/EPA, via Shutterstock)

Former UEFA President Michel Platini Detained Over Awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar

The former UEFA president and France football legend, Michel Platini, was detained in Paris on Tuesday morning (6/18) for questions in connection with alleged bribe and corruption investigation over FIFA’s decision to award Qatar as the next World Cup hosting country in 2022. The detention news was first reported by a news website Mediapart, saying that Platini was detained along with Nicolas Sarkozy’s former secretary general of the Élysée Palace, Claude Guéant, and his another adviser Sophie Dion.

In December 2010, Platini voted Qatar to host the tournament but the decision has been alleged for having possible private corruption, influence peddling and trading in influence, and criminal conspiracy by France’s Parquet National Financier (PNF). PNF is responsible for law enforcement to fight serious financial crime and opened the criminal investigation for this case two years ago.

French media reported that the main focus of the investigation was on Platini’s lunch with Sarkozy and the current Emir of Qatar Tamim al-Thani on November 2010 before the voting night of FIFA for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. At that time, France was seeking strong economic supports from mega-wealthy Qatar and the club he supports Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was in financial difficulties. In his interview, Platini stated that he understood that Sarkozy wanted him to wield his vote for Qatar but denied he was influenced. However, the then FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, has said Platini told him that he and three decisive European FIFA executive committee members had changed their vote from the US to Qatar after the lunch—which the statement was also denied by Platini.

Earlier today, Platini’s lawyer William Bourbon said that the Former French football legend has been released from detention after being questioned for several hours.

The corruption allegation was sparked after Qatar’s shock victory in the FIFA vote which the suspicion was strengthened by the buying of PSG by Qatar Sports Investments afterward in 2011 and a massive degree of funding to the club from the Qatar sovereign.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/18/michel-platini-arrested-over-award-of-2022-world-cup-to-qatar