Blatter & Platini are both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini acquitted of corruption by Swiss court

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini have been acquitted of corruption by a Swiss court.

Criminal proceedings were launched into the pair after a payment of two million Swiss francs (£1.7m) from FIFA to Platini was uncovered in 2015.

Blatter, 86, was the head of FIFA - the world football body - at the time, while Platini, 67, ran UEFA, the football executive for Europe.

The payment was made in 2011 following what the two men said was a "gentleman’s agreement" made in 1998. Prosecutors said this version of events was an "invention".

Blatter approved the transfer of funds from FIFA to Platini while campaigning to be re-elected the head of the world football body.

Platini was seen to hold sway over the European caucus of votes.

The US government launched a wide-ranging investigation into bribery, fraud and money laundering at FIFA in 2015 which led to Blatter standing down.

Both he and Platini were banned from football for eight years in 2015, but this was later reduced.

Platini claimed the investigation was a deliberate plot to prevent him from ascending to being leader of FIFA.