FIFA Ethics Committee rejects Michel Platini's argument against suspension

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 12 October 2015

The FIFA Ethics Committee rejects UEFA president Michel Platini's argument that he did not have the chance to defend himself before being banned for 90 days.

The FIFA Ethics Committee has rejected Michel Platini's argument that he was not allowed to defend himself before being issued with a 90-day suspension.

The UEFA president, as well as FIFA president Sepp Blatter and FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke have been banned from carrying out any football-related activity amid allegations of corruption.

Platini, who the attorney general has described as "somewhere between a witness and an accused person", has been suspended after he allegedly received a "disloyal" payment of £1.3m from Blatter in 2011.

Platini, who is in the running to replace Blatter as FIFA president in next February's election, argued that he did not have the opportunity to defend himself, but a spokesperson for the Ethics Committee's chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert has stated otherwise.

A statement read: "The argument put forward by Michel Platini's lawyers that their client had not had the possibility to defend himself before the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee before his suspension is not valid.

"After the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee had heard him for more than five hours on October 1, 2015 (with the hearing documented on more than 50 pages), the chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber, Hans-Joachim Eckert, did not see a need for a second hearing with Mr Platini. This proceeding is fully in line with article 84.2. of the FIFA Code of Ethics."

Blatter has denied any wrongdoing.