Former UEFA president Michel Platini has initiated both civil and criminal proceedings against FIFA and current president Gianni Infantino in French courts. The 70-year-old French football administrator claims the 2015 corruption allegations maliciously derailed his campaign to become FIFA president, accusing Infantino and two former officials of orchestrating a prosecution designed to block his election.

Platini served as UEFA president from 2008 to 2015 and was widely expected to succeed Sepp Blatter. The scandal centered on a 2 million Swiss franc payment from 2011 that Blatter authorized, leading to both men being banned and Blatter's resignation. Platini received an initial eight-year ban, later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Both Platini and Blatter were cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss federal criminal appeals court in March 2025, yet the damage to their careers was already done. Infantino, who worked under Platini as UEFA general secretary, ultimately replaced Blatter as FIFA president after the scandal unfolded.

Platini's lawsuits represent an attempt to clear his name financially and legally, arguing that the Ethics proceedings were weaponized against him. The case highlights ongoing tensions within football's leadership circles nearly a decade after the initial controversy.