By Andrew Warshaw
December 30 – In what will be construed in some quarters as a deliberately defiant act, Michel Platini appears to have violated the terms of his eight-year FIFA ban after openly attending an awards ceremony and conference in Dubai.
The UEFA president, along with Sepp Blatter, was handed the ban “from all football-related activities” by FIFA’s Ethics Committee on December 21 over the still not fully explained payment of SFr2 million made by FIFA to the Frenchman in 2011, nine years after he finished working as a consultant to Blatter.
Both are appealing insisting they have done no wrong and two days after Christmas, Platini attended the annual Globe Soccer Awards organised by the Dubai Sports Council, along with stars such as Lionel Messi and Andrea Pirlo.
Platini was photographed at the event and also made comments regarding his ban to the Italian media. A spokesman for FIFA’s Ethics Committee was quoted as saying: “In general terms: The Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee of FIFA investigates any alleged breach of the Ethics Code of FIFA.”
Platini’s guest appearance at what was largely a private function was reportedly agreed long before his ban which is likely to end up in the Court of Arbitration for Sport sometime next month. A ruling will need to be made by mid-January since Platini still wants to be a contender to take over from Blatter at elections on February 26.
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