Platini hits out at “sleeping” Federation Internationale de Football Association ethics committee

Blatter said he felt he was being used as a “punching ball” and declared: “I will fight to the end”.

Platini said: “I will fight”.

Sepp Blatter, left, and Michel Platini were banned from any football-related activities for eight years on Monday.

FIFA President Blatter and his one-time protege Platini were kicked out of the sport for conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA in a $2 million payment deal that is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.

Both men deny any wrongdoing but the Independent Ethics Committee ruled there was not sufficient evidence to support the legality of the payment, stating the pair’s assertions of an oral agreement were “not convincing”.

The punishments given by FIFA’s ethics committee stemmed from financial inquiries that were sparked by suspicions about the 2010 vote, when two host countries were selected concurrently for the first time.

“I’m convinced that my fate was sealed before the December 18 hearing and that this decision is just a pathetic maneuver to hide a true will of taking me out of the football world”, the Frenchman said. As secretary general he was responsible for the organization’s administration and oversaw its main source of revenue: the $5 billion World Cup, sport’s most-watched event.

Platini had been seen as a favorite to succeed Blatter, but if his ban is upheld, he can’t enter February’s election. He intends to challenge this week’s ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and could seek damages in civil proceedings. “According to Swiss law, to suspend someone for eight years, you must have committed a murder or a bank robbery”.

Michel Platini has vowed to fight the eight-year ban in the world sports tribunal.

Platini insists he should not be put into the same bracket as Blatter, who has always been suspected of corrupt practices.

Mr Boyce has long called for the publication of the Garcia report – an internal FIFA investigation which looked at allegations of corruption in the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

Dutch FA (KNVB) chief Michael van Praag, a Uefa vice-president, admitted the verdict on Platini was extremely damaging for the governing body of the European game.

However, speaking at the launch of his book Winning and Losing at the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation, he added that he would have discussions before making a final decision.

De Montfort said it had “long been concerned” by allegations against him.