The banned ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a criminal investigation into the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
The French football legend elected to lead European footballâs governing body in 2007 was taken into custody by French anti-corruption police investigating the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to the gas-rich Gulf state.
Qatar was named to host the World Cup in a decision that triggered controversy over its suitability amid allegations of corruption that ultimately sparked FIFAâs worst ever scandal five years later.
Franceâs Financial Crimes Prosecutors Office (PNF) opened a preliminary investigation in 2016 into allegations of corruption, conspiracy and influence peddling surrounding FIFAâs award of the World Cup to Qatar and also the 2018 tournament to Russia.
According to Blatter, Qatar won hosting rights as a result of a deal with the French, derailing FIFAâs own âdiplomatic arrangementâ whereby hosting rights would go to Russia in 2018 and then to the United States four years later.
The French investigation centres on alleged French intervention linked toPlatiniand former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
According to the specialist magazine France Football, a âsecret meetingâ took place on November 23, 2010, at the Elysee Palace in Paris between Sarkozy, Qatarâs then-Prince (now Emir) Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Platini, at that time both UEFA president and vice-president of FIFA.
Just over a week later, FIFA awarded Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 tournament.
Platini has made no secret of his support for Qatar but denies he was influenced by Sarkozy, whose advisor for sport, Sophie Dion, was also arrested along with Platini.
âIt was time to give them the World Cup. I am for that. Itâs my conviction,â he said at the time.
Claude Gueant, Sarkozyâs erstwhile chief of staff and former interior minister, was also called in for questioning Tuesday by Franceâs Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police.
The decision to award the event to Qatar ultimately led to a wider corruption probe that led to the overthrow of Blatter and Platini and the arrest of senior FIFA figures.
Platini, 63, led UEFA until 2015 when he was banned from football for four years for ethics violations including receiving a two-million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros, $2 million) payment from the disgraced former head of FIFA Sepp Blatter.
Qatar has been accused of buying votes in its bid to stage the World Cup and a subsequent report by US independent investigator Michael Garcia unearthed an array of suspect financial dealings, many linked to Sandro Rosell, the ex-Barcelona president who served as a consultant for Qatar.
Platini, a triple Ballon dâOr winner, was expected to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in 2016 before his fall from grace. He has been battling to clear his name ever since.
AFP
