By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – Banned UEFA president Michel Platini says he is confident of clearing his name in time to take centre stage at this summer’s European Championship finals in his native France.
Platini spent eight hours in front of FIFA’s appeals committee on Monday and emerged to hold an impromptu news conference saying he was more optimistic than ever over getting back into football even though he has withdrawn from the FIFA presidential race.
Like Sepp Blatter, he denies any wrongdoing over the so-called “disloyal payment” of SFr2 million made to him in 2011 with the authority of Blatter.
Both have been banned for eight years and as Blatter prepared for his own appeals hearing today, Platini said he was “quite happy” with how his went.
“This time I was really listened to by people who are part of the football family, who know what the problems are,” Platini said, adding that a ruling could be given this week which will determine whether or not he takes the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The appeals panel was chaired by Larry Mussenden, a former attorney general of Bermuda who is seeking to become a FIFA vice president by winning the CONCACAF presidency in May.
Mussenden rarely overturns verdicts and will have taken into consideration the ethics committee’s counter-appeal calling for a greater sanction. He will also have noted that ethics judges considered Platini’s argument that a verbal contract entitled him to get uncontracted salary for work as Blatter’s presidential adviser from 1999-2002 as “not convincing”.
Platini told reporters most discussion focused on the nature of that verbal deal with Blatter.
He sought to boost his case by presenting “important” evidence from two witnesses he brought to FIFA headquarters for his appeal: Angel Maria Villar, Spain’s veteran FIFA and UEFA vice president who chairs FIFA’s legal committee but has himself fallen foul of ethics investigators; and Jacques Lambert, a long-standing friend who heads the French organising committee of the European Championship.
Platini’s hopes of following his one-time mentor into the FIFA top job have already been wrecked by the investigation into the deal that came to light and led to an ethics inquiry as soon as Switzerland’s attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter. “I don’t care if I’m politically finished in football,” Platini charged. “I’m 60 years old, I’ve done a lot of things. I want to fight injustice.”
UEFA says it will not begin a new presidential election process until Platini ends his legal fight. “I hope I can start working again very soon and go back to the (UEFA) office,” he said. “And then prepare for the Euro. It’s been a very good hearing, very well conducted, with people who have been sincere. I am waiting to come back to work on this great football party… “
In remarks reported by L’Equipe, Platini added: “If I had anything to reproach myself for, I would be hiding in Siberia in shame. I will look people in the eyes, I have done nothing and I fear nothing.”
“Is it Blatter who put me in this situation? Not at all, he is in the same situation as me. Someone pushed the button and I will try to find out who.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1735874326labto1735874326ofdlr1735874326owedi1735874326sni@w1735874326ahsra1735874326w.wer1735874326dna1735874326