Former UEFA President Files Complaints in French Courts Over 2015 FIFA Presidency Bid

Michel Platini said Monday that his lawyers filed two complaints in French courts against officials involved in events surrounding the 2015 FIFA presidential succession. The 70-year-old former UEFA president stated the actions seek compensation for damages and request an investigation into alleged conspiracy, false accusation, and influence peddling.

The complaints name former FIFA officials Marco Villiger and Domenico Scala, as well as former Swiss Attorney Michael Lauber and other officials in that department.

Blatter left the FIFA presidency in 2015, Platini, then head of European football's governing body, was viewed as a leading candidate. The former France captain and coach was instead drawn into a widening scandal, and his deputy at UEFA assumed the FIFA role.

Platini had previously filed two complaints in Switzerland that did not reach court. Swiss prosecutors pursued a separate criminal case against him over a 2011 FIFA payment but failed three times to secure a conviction. Swiss authorities also examined the use of private jets and three secret meetings in 2016 and 2017.

The civil suit seeks compensation for damages Platini says he suffered from tactics that prevented his election as FIFA president. The criminal complaint asks French authorities to investigate alleged internal maneuvers within FIFA and possible complicity by Swiss magistrates.

Platini's statement said the Parisian investigating judge, investigative agencies, police, and gendarmerie are tasked with uncovering those maneuvers. The filing comes four days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.