The arrest of Platini represents the first substantial public move in an investigation into the Qatar decision opened two years ago by France’s Parquet National Financier, which is responsible for law enforcement against serious financial crime.
Platini has acknowledged publicly that in November 2010, just a month before the Fifa vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cuphosts, he had lunch at the Élysée Palace with Sarkozy and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, now the emir of Qatar. It was made clear, he has said, that Sarkozy, who was seeking huge trade contracts with Qatar, wanted Platini to wield his Fifa vote and influence at Uefa in favour of Qatar for the 2022 tournament.
Questioned by the Guardian about his decision a fortnight ago in Paris before the Fifa congress, Platini insisted that he had already made his mind up to vote for Qatar. His son, Laurent Platini, subsequently joined the Qatar sportswear company Burrda, owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which Platini has always denied had anything to do with his decision.
Platini did vote for Qatar, a vote, with others at Uefa, which the then FIFA president Sepp Blatter has always said were crucial to sending the tournament to Qatar rather than his preference, the USA. After the award, Qatar Airways ordered 50 French-made A320 neo-family planes made by Airbus, and QSI bought and mega-funded Paris Saint-Germain, the club Sarkozy supports.
Platini has acknowledged publicly that in November 2010, just a month before the Fifa vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cuphosts, he had lunch at the Élysée Palace with Sarkozy and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, now the emir of Qatar. It was made clear, he has said, that Sarkozy, who was seeking huge trade contracts with Qatar, wanted Platini to wield his Fifa vote and influence at Uefa in favour of Qatar for the 2022 tournament.
Questioned by the Guardian about his decision a fortnight ago in Paris before the Fifa congress, Platini insisted that he had already made his mind up to vote for Qatar. His son, Laurent Platini, subsequently joined the Qatar sportswear company Burrda, owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which Platini has always denied had anything to do with his decision.
Platini did vote for Qatar, a vote, with others at Uefa, which the then FIFA president Sepp Blatter has always said were crucial to sending the tournament to Qatar rather than his preference, the USA. After the award, Qatar Airways ordered 50 French-made A320 neo-family planes made by Airbus, and QSI bought and mega-funded Paris Saint-Germain, the club Sarkozy supports.
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