Ex- UEFA chief Michel Platini files criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino

Platini has filed a criminal complaint in Paris against Infantino, according to a statement sent to AFP. The complaint alleges active influence peddling and the dissemination of false accusations connected to the circumstances surrounding Platini's downfall in 2015. The former UEFA president has also named former FIFA legal director Marco Villiger and former audit and compliance committee chairman Domenico Scala in the complaint.

Platini is seeking to investigate what he claims were manoeuvres designed to prevent his election as FIFA president. The legal action marks the latest chapter in a dispute that has lingered since the events that effectively ended Platini's ambitions of succeeding Sepp Blatter at the helm of world football's governing body.

Platini's legal team has stated that it intends to demonstrate that a coordinated effort was made to damage his reputation and block his path to the FIFA presidency. In addition to the criminal complaint in France, the Frenchman is preparing a civil lawsuit against FIFA seeking compensation for losses he says resulted from the ethics investigation.

The former France international reportedly believes he was the victim of a smear campaign that altered the course of football governance. Through the new proceedings, Platini is attempting to clear his name and identify those he believes were responsible for his removal from football administration.

The origins of the case date back to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs made to Platini in 2011 and authorised by then-FIFA president Blatter. The payment was reportedly linked to consultancy work carried out between 1998 and 2002, but the delay in payment later attracted scrutiny from investigators.

When details of the transaction became public in 2015, both Platini and Blatter received lengthy bans from football-related activities. At the time, Platini was widely viewed as the leading candidate to replace Blatter as FIFA president. His withdrawal from the race paved the way for Infantino, then UEFA's general secretary, to win the FIFA presidency in February 2016. Infantino has since been re-elected twice without opposition.

Platini's criminal complaint and planned civil action are set to keep one of football's most significant governance disputes in the spotlight. The proceedings could bring renewed scrutiny to the events surrounding the 2015 investigation and the FIFA presidential succession that followed.