According to information revealed by MediapartMichel Platini would have acknowledged having received a lithograph of Picasso, baptized Soccer from Russian oligarch Alicher Usmanov on one of his birthdays. Since 2016, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office has launched a preliminary investigation for corruption, in June 2019 the former Juventus attacking midfielder had also been placed in police custody and his home had been searched. The said work of Picasso had at the time been found hanging on a wall of his house.
According to investigators, this gift would have been offered in exchange for Platini’s vote in favor of Russia. This track, which had been mentioned at the time by the Sunday Times then was relaunched recently by telephone tapping carried out as part of this investigation which concerns the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 Cups. For his part, Ousmanov, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, denies having made this gift to the former UEFA president.
