Sepp Blatter, once nicknamed the 'godfather of FIFA', looked physically weaker as he returned to trial over allegations of fraud.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who turns 89 next Monday, made a dramatic courtroom appearance in Switzerland as he faced a retrial over fraud accusations.
The disgraced football supremo, who was once the most powerful man in world football, arrived alongside Michel Platini, the former UEFA president and FIFA vice-president, in a legal battle that has dragged on for nearly a decade.
The pair were originally acquitted in 2022 of charges related to a controversial payment of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6 million) made to Platini in 2011, but Swiss prosecutors and FIFA have appealed the decision.
The retrial is now taking place at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, with a verdict expected on 25 March.
The fall of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini: A career in ruins
The scandal rocked global football and effectively ended both men's careers.
In 2015, FIFA imposed bans on Blatter and Platini, shattering Platini's ambitions of succeeding Blatter as FIFA president.
The controversial payment was allegedly made for advisory work Platini had carried out between 1998 and 2002.
However, it was never documented in FIFA's records.
Blatter, looking frailer than during his previous court appearance, maintained his innocence, claiming that the payment was part of a verbal "gentleman's agreement" with Platini.
"When you talk about falsehoods, lies and deception, that's not me. That didn't exist in my whole life," he told the court.
He also referenced his upbringing to defend his character, adding: "We had principles in my family - we take only money we have earned. I am innocent."
Blatter's health woes amid legal battle
Despite his ongoing legal troubles, Blatter put on a brave face outside the courtroom.
Addressing reporters, he stated as per Daily Mail: "I am very positive. Today is a very sunny day and I'm going into this with positive energy."
His defence claims that the payment to Platini was legitimate, though the original judge in 2022 pointed out that there were no witnesses, and the agreement was not officially recorded.
This lack of documentation raised "serious doubts" over the prosecution's claim of fraud.
However, Swiss prosecutors remain determined to overturn the acquittal, with the Attorney General's Office stating:
"The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has filed an appeal against the first-instance judgment and submitted a statement of appeal in October 2022 requesting that the judgment be set aside in full."
The indictment against Blatter and Platini alleges: "They falsely claimed that FIFA owed Platini, or that Platini was entitled to, the sum of two million Swiss francs for advisory work. This deception was achieved through repeated untruthful claims made by both accused parties."
The ongoing trial has taken a toll on Blatter's health.
In a candid interview last year, he accused prosecutors of hoping for his demise before the retrial, telling the Telegraph: "They are banking on me dying before I win again in court."
With Swiss prosecutors seeking a 20-month suspended sentence for both Blatter and Platini, this legal showdown is set to be one of the final battles in the ex-FIFA chief's long and controversial career.
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