Michel Platini will take his appeal against a FIFA ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, his lawyer confirms.
The UEFA President has been suspended over an alleged “disloyal” payment he received from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has also been suspended.
An appeal against the sanction was today rejected by world football's governing body, but Platini is not giving up the fight.
Michel Platini will take his appeal against a FIFA ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, his lawyer confirms.
The UEFA President has been suspended over an alleged “disloyal” payment he received from FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has also been suspended.
An appeal against the sanction was today rejected by world football's governing body, but Platini is not giving up the fight.
“A decision has finally been made,” Thibaud d'Alès told l’Équipe.
“It allows us to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS]. He [Platini] is calm, but revolted by the FIFA processes. The decision to dismiss the appeal was taken on November 3 and we were informed on November 18.
“During those 15 days, we weren’t able to go to CAS. Until now Michel Platini has always wanted to be respectful of FIFA’s internal processes.
“But then, when that process makes fun of you… we’ll stop being naive. There’s a desire to disrupt and delay Michel Platini’s campaign for the FIFA Presidency.
“It was quite subtle up until now, but now it’s as plain as the nose on your face. Either that or it’s incompetence beyond the imaginable.
“We wondered why there had been no decision. It could be ‘there’s no-one on the FIFA plane’, or ‘they don’t agree with the Ethics Committee’ or ‘the calendar is being manipulated’.
“It’s clearly the third option. We had 48 hours to appeal, and we lodged it on October 10. It took them a month and eight days to respond.
“Not to mention there’s only been a ruling on the provisional suspension, the appeal filed on the merits of the case hasn’t been reviewed yet.
“We’re more optimistic than ever, the accusations are misplaced, they don’t have any proof.
“They’ve reversed the burden of proof, by telling us ‘Mr Platini hasn’t proved…’ but it’s up to them to prove wrongdoing.
“Michel Platini is determined to prove his good faith and his innocence. We’re ready for another fight.”
Platini is not allowed to visit UEFA or FIFA buildings, but attended for a minute’s silence after the Paris attacks, does he fear retribution?
“It would be the height of cynicism for something which calls itself the Ethics Committee. It was a spontaneous gesture on his part.
“He said: ‘this is my country, I’m hurting, I’ll go’.”