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

MANCHESTER CITY CONSIDER LEGAL ACTION FOLLOWING REAL MADRID PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE'S ERLING HAALAND CLAIM

 June 4 – Manchester City are considering legal action after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme publicly claimed he would sign Erling Haaland if elected president of the Spanish giants. 

The extraordinary intervention has added another layer of drama to Real Madrid’s first contested presidential election in two decades, with Riquelme using a television appearance on Wednesday to unveil a Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name and suggests the Norwegian striker was open to a move to the Santiago Bernabéu. 

“He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid,” Riquelme said. “If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.” 

The comments were swiftly met with a robust response from both Haaland’s camp and Manchester City. In a joint statement issued by the player’s father and agent, the claims were dismissed outright, before City raised the prospect of legal action over the use of the striker’s image during the campaign. 

“The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue,” the statement read. “There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. 

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.” 

Riquelme did not stop there. The 37-year-old businessman also pledged to bring City midfielder Rodri to Madrid should he defeat long-serving president Florentino Pérez. 

“He is a great player, in a position where Madrid need to strengthen,” Riquelme said. “We have spoken to his agent. We have to respect his club, but if I’m president he will play for Madrid. I will do everything possible.”

 The transfer promises have become a central feature of a campaign that has transformed what is usually a predictable Real Madrid presidential process into one of the club’s most colourful elections in recent memory. 

Pérez, who has largely dominated Madrid politics since returning to power in 2009, is facing opposition for the first time in 20 years following a disappointing campaign in which the club failed to secure major silverware. 

Riquelme has attempted to position himself as the candidate of change, promising sweeping benefits for club members, including the construction of a new fan complex near Madrid’s training centre featuring swimming pools, padel courts and a basketball arena. 

He has also pledged to cut annual membership fees by up to 50% should the club fail to win the Champions League next season. 

The challenger has further differentiated himself by opposing Pérez’s reported decision to appoint José Mourinho as head coach. While Pérez has yet to formally confirm the appointment, it is widely expected should he secure another term in office. 

Instead, Riquelme has repeatedly hinted at alternative targets, with former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp emerging as the standout name linked to his campaign. 

“My coach is the one Real Madrid fans want,” Riquelme said this week, declining to reveal a specific candidate. Speaking previously about Klopp, he added: “Naturally, I would love for profiles of that calibre, and others like them, to coach this club.” 

Pérez, meanwhile, has sought to focus attention on football matters rather than campaign theatrics. “I always say that in football you don’t always win,” he said. 

“We haven’t achieved the expected results, but we’ve identified the problems. The team couldn’t have a pre-season due to the Club World Cup, and that hampered us all year. 

“We had almost 30 injuries in the first half of the season and that was a decisive factor. We’re already working to face the challenges of the new season.” 

The increasingly bitter campaign has also been marked by public attempts from both camps to undermine one another. During Riquelme’s appearance on popular Spanish television show El Hormiguero, Pérez’s supporters reportedly purchased advertising space to announce Mourinho as the club’s next manager and urge members to back the incumbent president. 

Yet amid the political manoeuvring, it is the Haaland saga that has generated potentially the biggest consequences. 

- Harry Ewing

GALATASARAY READY TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AFTER HORROR NOA LANG INJURY VS. LIVERPOOL

Galatasaray will reportedly take legal action against UEFA after Dutch forward Noa Lang suffered a freak thumb injury from a collision with an advertising hoarding at Anfield

Noa Lang was forced off against Liverpool after suffering a serious injury to his thumb(Image: Getty Images)

Galatasaray reportedly intends to seek compensation from UEFA after Noa Lang suffered a freak injury from a collision with an advertising hoarding at Anfield during their Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

The Reds booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday after beating Galatasaray 4-0 (4-1 on aggregate) at Anfield, setting up a rematch with Paris Saint-Germain, who knocked Liverpool out of the competition in the Round of 16 last year.

During the clash at Anfield, Lang suffered a gruesome injury for which he underwent surgery after he collided with an advertising board. The Dutch forward was in agony, holding his bloody thumb before being taken off the pitch on a stretcher. He was also seen being given oxygen as he left the pitch.

"In the second half of the same match, our player Noa Lang, who suffered an injury, sustained a serious cut to his right thumb, and it is planned for him to undergo surgery in Liverpool in the coming hours with the participation of our medical team," read a statement from the Turkish club, who now reportedly look set to take legal action against UEFA for the injury.

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Galatasaray's general secretary, Eray Yazgan, told HTSpor: "We made a complaint to UEFA representatives after the match. They also made their investigations. UEFA will evaluate the issue.

Noa Lang receives medical attention during Galatasaray's Champions League defeat to Liverpool(Image: (Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images))

"We are in talks with lawyers. We will file a lawsuit for compensation to UEFA. We will ask for our victimization in terms of salary to be eliminated."

Following the game, Liverpool and UEFA officials were spotted investigating the advertising hoarding where the incident occurred.

Liverpool officials inspect the fence against which Galatasaray's Dutch forward Noa Lang sustained an injury(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

While Lang was in serious discomfort following the injury, he later posted a picture on his Instagram account of himself on a hospital bed with two nurses while still in his Galatasaray kit, smiling.

He captioned the post, "s--- happens."

He also confirmed that he has had surgery on his injured hand, with the procedure going successfully. "Surgery went well! Thanks for all the messages," he added.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Ally McCoist, who was covering Liverpool and Galatasaray's game, admitted he could tell the 26-year-old had suffered a shocking injury simply by looking at the reaction of the photographer who was next to Lang when it happened.

"He said: "I could tell there was a significant problem because one of the girls behind there, I'm not sure if she's a photographer but you could see her face, the way she reacted."

- Oscar Maung-Haley