Michel Platini, former UEFA president, is asking the court for the payment of salary arrears and a bonus "provided for in his (his) contract" as well as the payment of legal fees, he indicated Friday. According to sources close to the case, Michel Platini, whose suspension for four years ended in early October, claims an overall amount of about 7.2 million euros, including 5.5 million euros in salary arrears , figures not confirmed by the former leader.
"Via my lawyers, I ask the application of the contractual elements," said Michel Platini who believes that the amounts mentioned "are false". In detail, Platini asks - according to sources close to the record - a bonus of 1.8 million euros "for its contribution to the success of the Euro-2016 in France", the payment of 636,000 euros in legal fees , in addition to salary arrears for "the period from 2016 to 2019".
End of suspension
Platini, 64, elected to the presidency of UEFA in 2007, was suspended in October 2015 by the internal justice of FIFA, for a controversial payment of 1.8 million euros, received from the President of Fifa, Sepp Blatter, himself suspended six years. His suspension came to an end on 6 October and since then Michel Platini, a time candidate for the presidency of FIFA, said he could find a role in football. "The bonus was something the head of finance owed to the president for the organization of the Euro," added Michel Platini. As for the lawyers' fees, "it was when I was president and UEFA had promised to pay them".
"We have asked for a salary balance, which we believe was contractually due," Vincent Solari, a Geneva lawyer for the former Ballon d'Or, added in an email. "We did not claim the bonus you indicate, nor in the state of a salary such as the one you mention, but much less," however tempered the lawyer. Mr. Solari added that he would "probably have to initiate proceedings" to the labor tribunal because UEFA, after a long delay, just told us that it contested this claim, without any motivation.