By Andrew Warshaw
December 8 – The highest court in sport will today consider whether to temporarily uphold Michel Platini’s appeal against the 90-day suspension that bars him from seeking the FIFA presidency.
Platini, who until recently was seen as the man to lead FIFA out of its worst ever corruption scandal, was suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee on Oct. 8 pending the outcome of a full investigation into allegations of financial misconduct.
Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s president since 1998, was also suspended after being caught up in the crisis that has led to criminal investigations in both Switzerland and the United States.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said it had invited both Platini and FIFA’s legal representatives to a hearing today “limited to the issue as to whether or not the provisional 90-day suspension imposed on M. Platini should be temporarily lifted.”
It said it would make a ruling by Friday, the next key date.
FIFA are due to elect Blatter’s replacement on February 26 and Platini, whilst registered as a candidate, cannot run until he clears his name. He went to the CAS after initially having his appeal turned down by FIFA’s appeals committee.
If the UEFA president wins at CAS, the FIFA electoral committee has said it would review his case, but there is still no guarantee he would be able to stand in the election to replace Blatter.
Even a temporary reprieve may not be enough, with Platini due to appear next week before FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and facing a possible life ban over that 2 million Swiss franc he received in 2011 for work carried out on behalf of Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
Both Blatter and Platini deny any wrongdoing. “The ethics committee must prove that I have behaved unethically,” Blatter told Switzerland’s Tages-Anzeiger at the weekend. “And one cannot prove what is not true.”
Blatter says the money was due to Platini under a verbal agreement but by the time it was paid, the five-year deadline in Switzerland for honouring outstanding debts had passed.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734981677labto1734981677ofdlr1734981677owedi1734981677sni@w1734981677ahsra1734981677w.wer1734981677dna1734981677