PARIS • Former Uefa president Michel Platini was yesterday arrested in connection with a criminal investigation into the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, with his representatives saying he has done "absolutely nothing" wrong.
The 63-year-old France great was taken into custody by the country's anti-corruption police, who are probing how the gas-rich Gulf nation was granted football's biggest tournament.
Platini, who led European football's governing body from 2007 to 2015, was called in for questioning by anti-corruption police examining concerns over allegations of wrongdoing in Qatar's candidacy to host the event.
In 2010, Qatar was named as hosts of the event's next edition in a decision that has since triggered controversy over its suitability amid allegations of corruption that ultimately sparked Fifa's worst scandal five years later.
It led to the overthrow of former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Platini, and the arrest of senior figures at the organisation.
France's Financial Crimes Prosecutors Office opened a preliminary investigation in 2016 into possible corruption, conspiracy and influence peddling surrounding that award as well as last year's tournament, which went to Russia.
According to Blatter, Qatar won hosting rights as a result of a deal with the French, derailing the world football governing body's own "diplomatic arrangement", whereby hosting rights would go to Russia in 2018 and then to the United States four years later.
The probe centres on alleged French intervention linked to Platini and the country's former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
While a spokesman for Sarkozy refused to comment, Platini's lawyer William Bourdon said his client was innocent and he was being held in custody for "technical reasons".
According to French magazine France Football, a "secret meeting" took place on Nov 23, 2010 at the Elysee Palace in Paris between Sarkozy, Qatar's then Crown Prince and now Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Platini.
A week later, Fifa awarded Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 tournament. Platini has made no secret of his support for Qatar, but denies he was influenced by Sarkozy, whose adviser for sport, Sophie Dion, was also arrested.
"It was time to give them the World Cup. I am for that. It's my conviction," he said at the time.
Claude Gueant, Sarkozy's erstwhile chief of staff and former interior minister, was also called in for questioning by France's Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police, but remains a "free suspect".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, THE GUARDIAN
