GIANNI INFANTINO'S OLD BOSS FILES CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST FIFA PRESIDENT

Former UEFA president Michel Platini has filed a criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino and two other officials, alleging malicious prosecution and influence peddling

Former UEFA President Michel Platini (R) is set to launch legal action against former UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino(L).(Image: Getty Images)

Former UEFA president Michel Platini is reportedly taking legal action against FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, alleging that he and two others conspired to ruin his chances of landing football's top job.

City AM reports that Platini's legal team have confirmed they are initiating proceedings in Paris against Infantino and two former FIFA officials, legal director Marco Villiger and audit chair Domenico Scala.

Infantino, Villiger and Scala are accused of malicious prosecution and influence peddling in relation to a scandal that ultimately ended Platini's career in football administration.

Platini was the favourite to take over from Sepp Blatter as FIFA president until 2015, when Blatter was effectively charged with bribing Platini for votes for a fourth term.

Platini and Blatter were given suspensions by FIFA's ethics committee over the two million Swiss francs "disloyal payment," but both have since been exonerated by the Swiss courts.

Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter(Image: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP)

The ex-France captain is also suing FIFA for financial damages in Switzerland for what his lawyers allege was a deliberate attempt to block his succession of Blatter, reports the Mirror.

Infantino, who served as UEFA general secretary under Platini, was elected to succeed Blatter in 2016 and has held the position ever since, strengthening his grip on power throughout.

The timing of the legal proceedings becoming public will cause Infantino and FIFA considerable embarrassment just before the World Cup kicks off in the US, Mexico and Canada on Thursday.

Mirror Sport have contacted FIFA regarding the allegations but have not yet received a response to the latest developments, with Infantino set to face the media on Wednesday on the eve of the largest edition of the tournament ever staged.

This follows nine months after the acquittal of Platini, now 70, and Blatter, 90, on fraud and forgery charges by a Swiss federal criminal appeals court in September that year.

Since assuming office, Infantino has implemented sweeping changes to FIFA's operations and substantially increased its revenue, and last week he topped City AM's inaugural Football Power List.

FIFA president GIanni Infantino shows off World Cup to Donald Trump in the Oval Office last year(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The news marks the latest controversy in a series of events that have overshadowed the build-up to this summer's World Cup. The United States conflict with Iran has been a major talking point.

Iran threatened to withdraw from the tournament following airstrikes that claimed the life of their leader Ayatollah Khamenei. With Italy put forward as possible replacements, it was later mooted that Iran's fixtures could be relocated at short notice to Mexico.

Despite the uncertainty, Infantino consistently assured that Iran would take part and everything would be fine, while Trump issued a threatening statement, asserting: "I really don't believe it ⁠is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."

The US President eventually gave his tepid endorsement. In recent hours, Somalian referee Omar Artan has been refused entry into the United States and Iranian fans have had their tickets revoked.

- Matty Hewitt  and Frank Dalleres