Michel Platini: Uefa president loses suspension appeal

Michel Platini, French president of UEFA, has suffered a rebuff from the Court of Arbitration for Sport which has rejected his plea to have his Federation Internationale de Football Association ethics suspension lifted.

If FIFA’s ethics committee fails to clear Platini and Blatter, who both say they have done nothing wrong, both men could face bans of several years if found guilty of wrongdoing.

A third election applicant, Musa Bility, has also appealed to CAS against exclusion for failing an integrity check.

Even a temporary lifting of the provisional ban by CAS could allow Platini to run, although FIFA’s electoral commission said it would study the case depending on the timing. A verdict is expected on Monday, 21 December.

The payment issue had been discovered by Swiss police who placed Blatter under criminal investigation and assessed Platini at a status somewhere between witness and accused.

The move essentially ended Blatter’s 17-year presidency and delivered a blow to Platini’s chances in the February 26 elections for Federation Internationale de Football Association president.

The Frenchman was suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee alongside Federation Internationale de Football Association president Sepp Blatter over a £1.35m disloyal payment he received from Blatter. At the same time, though, the court ordered FIFA’s Ethics Committee not to extend Platini’s provisional suspension for a further 45 days, as it has the power to do under its statutes.

Uefa began preparing for life after Michel Platini on Friday night by announcing a congress at which a new president could be elected and finally ending its opposition to goal-line technology.

However, FIFA was not required to pay Platini when more than five years elapsed since the work was completed.

However, CAS has ruled that Platini must see out his 90-day suspension, which is due to expire on 5 January 2016.

The Frenchman is satisfied with the ruling not to extend the provisional suspension, Platini’s lawyer said.

Meanwhile, if CSA lifts the ban against Platini then he could take part in the Saturday’s draw for the 2016 European Championships.

The decision Friday means he also won’t be able to participate in the UEFA Executive Committee meeting before the draw.

“Michel Platini has perhaps lost a battle today but he has not lost the war and as long as the war is not lost we can still harbour all hopes”.