Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA president, and Michel Platini, ex-president at UEFA, were charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2 million payment.
The 85-year-old Blatter and 66-year-old Platini now face a trial at federal criminal court in Bellinzona. They could be jailed for several years if found guilty, though Swiss cases often take years to reach a conclusion.
"This payment damaged FIFA's assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,'' Swiss federal prosecutors said in a statement.