Blatter, Platini to face Swiss corruption trial in June

ZURICH : Former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will go on trial in June to face Swiss corruption charges over a $2 million payment that world soccer's governing body made to Platini, the court announced on Tuesday.

Both Blatter and Platini have repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the past over the incident, for which Swiss prosecutors indicted them in November.

Prosecutors allege former FIFA president Blatter improperly arranged the payment to Platini in 2011 for consulting work.

Both are suspected of fraud and other charges amid what became part of the biggest corruption scandal to shake FIFA.

Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, resigned in 2015, followed by Platini in 2016. Both were handed six-year bans for ethics violations.

The trial before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court is due to start on June 8 and last until June 22, the court said on its website.

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Christian Radnedge)