THISDAY

-

Former UEFA President, Michel Platini, is being questioned by French anti-corruption investigat­ors over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Platini, 63, was head of European football’s governing body until being banned in 2015 for ethics breaches.

The former France midfielder and three-time Ballon d’Or winner has always denied any wrongdoing.

Qatar beat bids from USA, Australia, South Korea and Japan in 2010.

Platini is in custody and being questioned in Nanterre, a suburb in western Paris.

Officials have been investigat­ing alleged corruption connected to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for the past two years and were reported to have interviewe­d Sepp Blatter, the former president of world governing body FIFA, in 2017.

In a statement, Platini’s lawyers reiterated he had not been arrested and has “expressed himself serenely and precisely, answering all the questions, including those on the conditions for the awarding of Euro 2016, and has provided useful explanatio­ns”.

They added: “He has nothing to do with this event which doesn’t concern him at all. He is absolutely confident about what’s next.”

FIFA said it is aware of Platini’s questionin­g, but added it is “not in a position to comment further”.

Platini was banned over a 2m Swiss francs (£1.3m) “disloyal payment” from Blatter, who was also banned from football for his part in the matter. Blatter has also always denied any wrongdoing.

Platini’s eight-year ban was later reduced to four on appeal and will expire in October 2019.

Qatar’s bid team has been previously accused of corruption, but was cleared following a two-year FIFA inquiry.

However, former Football Associatio­n Chairman Greg Dyke told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that the decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup was a “bizarre” one.

“I think anyone who was involved in that decision has to be questioned because it was such a bizarre decision,” he said.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria