French footballing legend, former UEFA president and head of European football, Michel Platini has been arrested for the decision to award the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar, on Tuesday. He was detained by French police from Nanterre, Paris for an investigation into the corruption related to how the 2022 World Cup hosting rights were awarded to Qatar, French investigative outlet Mediapart reported.
The former French footballer was taken to the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police. Former general secretary general of FIFA, Claude Gueant is also being questioned as a suspect.
Platini served as the president until 2015, when the FIFA Ethics Committee banned him for six years but the ban was later reduced to four years. Qatar was named the hosts in 2010 but it was alleged that the decision involved corruption. In 2014, Platini had a meeting with defamed football official Mohamed Bin Hammam, just before casting his vote for Qatar. 16 members of the executive committee of FIFA have been suspended or are under investigation.
