Swiss Soccer Saga: Blatter and Platini's Decade-Long Legal Battle Ends

After a decade-long legal battle, Swiss federal prosecutors have closed the case against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini. The high-profile figures were acquitted after two separate trials examining charges of financial misconduct.

The Swiss attorney general's office stated that it would not pursue an appeal against the March acquittals handed down by an appeals court. This decision marks the conclusion of an extensive investigation that initially began with allegations of fraud, forgery, and the unauthorized transfer of over $2 million of FIFA funds to Platini in 2011.

The scandal emerged during international investigations into soccer governance in 2015, resulting in the removal of both Blatter and Platini from their respective offices. Their exit paved the way for the election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president and Aleksander Ceferin as UEFA president in 2016. Swiss prosecutors acknowledged this latest decision as a closure of another complex chapter in football's legal entanglements.

(With inputs from agencies.)