Michel Platini detained over Qatar World Cup bid

Bengaluru, June 18: Former UEFA president Michel Platini has been detained by police in France as part of an investigation into the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

The former France international captain was detained by French police from Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, as part of the investigation into corruption surrounding how the 2022 World Cup hosting rights were awarded, French investigative outlet Mediapart reported.

The French Ministry of Justice confirmed that anti-corruption officers took the 63-year-old in for questioning in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday morning.

Platini is currently serving a four-year ban from football after FIFA's Ethics Committee found that he received a "disloyal payment" from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

A statement from the Ministry of Justice, given to Omnisport, read: "Platini was taken in for questioning on Tuesday by officers of the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police.

"Following questioning, he was detained."

Earlier in May 2017, Platini resigned as UEFA president after his appeal against a ban from football activities failed though it was cut to four years. The Frenchman said he was resigning to pursue the case over a suspect USD 2 million payment in Swiss courts in a bid to clear his name.

He was UEFA president between 2007 and 2017 the FIFA ban upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport effectively ended his career as one of the most powerful figures in sport.

The CAS rejected the appeal saying it was not convinced about the "legitimacy" of the payment ordered by ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter. It did cut the ban from six years to four and reduced a fine from 80,000 Swiss francs (USD 80,000) to 60,000 Swiss francs.

(With inputs from agencies)