Platini loses European court appeal against football ban

STRASBOURG: Former UEFA head Michel Platini has lost his appeal at the European Court of Human Rights against a four-year ban from football over a 2 million Swiss franc (1.8m euro) payment from then FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2011.

A chamber of seven judges at the Strasbourgbased court ruled on Thursday that Platini’s “suspension from football-related professional activity was justified”.

“The court found in particular that, having regard to the seriousness of the misconduct, the senior position held by Mr Platini in football’s governing bodies and the need to restore the reputation of the sport and of FIFA, the sanction did not appear excessive or arbitrary,” it said.

Platini’s application, the court ruled, was “inadmissible”.

FIFA banned Platini, its then vice president, in 2015 over the payment he received, sparking years of bitter recriminations from the now 64-year-old Frenchman and a falling out with his former ally Blatter.

FIFA said it had taken note of the decision to reject Platini’s appeal, “which the court considered to be manifestly ill-founded”.

“This judgement is in line with the decision of FIFA’S ethics committee, which was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal.”

FIFA said it would continue to seek restitution of the 2 million Swiss francs “unduly paid by former FIFA president Joseph Blatter to Mr Platini back in February 2011”.

On Oct. 8, 2015, Platini was provisionally suspended until Jan. 6 2016 from any footballrelated activity. On Dec. 21, Platini and Blatter were both found guilty of ethics violations and barred from the sport until 2023. The committee said Platini “did not show commitment to an ethical attitude” and lacked respect for laws and regulations of the organisation. Platini boycotted the hearing, and said he planned to appeal the decision, declaring himself “at peace with my conscience.”