Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has once again insisted on his innocence regarding a £1.6 million payment made to ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini, as the fraud case was brought back before the courts on Monday.

Two of the most influential figures in modern football are once again facing legal proceedings after Swiss prosecutors appealed the 2022 ruling that acquitted both men of wrongdoing.

The case centres on a payment of two million Swiss francs made to Platini, which was authorised by Blatter in 2011. Both men claimed that the sum was a delayed payment for the Frenchman’s advisory work.

Speaking in court in Muttenz, near Basel, Blatter, 88, strongly denied any wrongdoing. “When you talk about falsehoods, lies, and deception, that’s not me. That has never been part of my life,” he said.

Platini’s lawyer, Dominic Nellen, expressed confidence ahead of the appeal hearing that his client, a former France captain and coach, would once again be cleared of all charges.

“The court of first instance was right to rule that the disputed payment of two million francs was lawful,” Nellen stated. “My client denies any criminal behaviour.”

During the initial trial, the court accepted the defence argument that the payment was based on a “gentleman’s agreement,” under which Platini had the right to invoice Blatter and FIFA for work completed a decade earlier.

However, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General has sought to have the ruling overturned entirely. Reports indicate that prosecutors are pushing for a suspended 20-month prison sentence for both men.

“The accused falsely claimed that FIFA owed Platini, or that Platini was entitled to receive, the sum of two million Swiss francs for advisory services,” the indictment stated. “This deception was carried out through repeated dishonest claims made by both defendants.”

Blatter stepped down as FIFA president in 2015 amid an unrelated corruption scandal. Both he and Platini were subsequently banned from football for eight years, leading to Platini’s resignation as UEFA president. Their bans were later reduced.