Platini to take FIFA appeal to CAS

Michel Platini has confirmed he will take an appeal against his ban from all football-related activity to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA cut his suspension from eight to six years on Wednesday.

UEFA president Platini and his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter were suspended from all football activity in December when the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee ruled a payment of two million Swiss francs (£1.3million) authorised by the 79-year-old Swiss to the former France captain constituted multiple infringements of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE).

Both men have insisted they are innocent, launching appeals to the FIFA Appeals Committee, which upheld the findings of the Ethics Committee that they breached FCE articles relating to offering and accepting gifts and other benefits; conflicts of interests; loyalty; and general rules of conduct.

Despite upholding the Ethics Committee’s judgment, the Appeals Committee ruled that “strong mitigating factors” were not taken into account when deciding the severity of the punishment and reduced the length of the ban by two years.

Respective fines of 50,000 and 80,000 Swiss Francs for Blatter and Platini remain, but the latter remains unhappy with the result and has confirmed he will take his appeal to CAS.

The Frenchman described the Appeal Committee decision as “insulting” and “shameful” and said he would take all necessary avenues to clear his name.

Blatter is widely expected to follow Platini’s lead and take his own appeal to CAS.