Michel Platini , threatened with a lifetime ban by the domestic courts of FIFA, received on Friday a double whammy: the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) maintained its current provisional suspension and spokesman of the Ethics Committee of FIFA predicted for him a sentence of "several years".
The ability to run for the presidential elections of February 26 moments away by Platini, who was considered the favorite to succeed Joseph Blatter, resigned and currently provisionally suspended for a long time.
Platini did not hide his anger at the words of spokesman to the daily L'Equipe on Friday.
When asked by the French sports newspaper, which published the answers on their website, Andreas Bantel, spokesman for the Ethics Committee of FIFA, was confident that there will be a tough sanction against the president of UEFA, "Platini will surely be suspended several years".
"As for Blatter, no difference for him between several years and a lifetime ban," he added Bantel.
- "Anger and dismay" -
In a statement sent to AFP, Platini, UEFA president, and his lawyers expressed their "anger and dismay at the statements of Mr. Andreas Bantel", estimating that constitute "a flagrant violation of the presumption of innocence and demonstrate the political objective They pursued by the Ethics Committee of FIFA, for whom the debate and contradictory statement that she has set for December 18 are clearly not of any use. "
"Mr. Platini, whose penalty seems to have been fixed by the Ethics Committee of FIFA, even before hearing his explanations, strongly denouncing these practices that expose the sham procedure which is the subject for weeks" It concludes the statement sent to the AFP.
In his indictment, unveiled in late November by lawyers Platini, the Chamber of Instruction had requested FIFA lifetime ban against UEFA president. The decision on the substance of the matter must now be taken by the House of Procedure of the Ethics Commission, which should act before Christmas, after listening to Platini.
According Bantel in his interview with L'Equipe on Friday, the punishment seems inevitable because "in this case the issue of corruption is clear."
"Assuming that the argument of corruption is not accepted by the Trial Chamber, there are several other offenses against the criminal law, such as conflict of interest, unfair management or falsification of accounts."
"All this naturally enough to suspend Blatter and Platini several years," concludes Bantel in his words to L'Equipe, with a smile, as saying.
Some words like daggers dug in Platini's aspirations to get out clean in this case and to aspire to the presidency of FIFA.
- Initial Optimism -
Hours earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) gave the first bad news of the day, with its announced to maintain the provisional suspension Ethics Committee of FIFA issued against him by the controversial collection of 1.8 million euros in 2011 from Joseph Blatter, supposedly for advisory work concluded a decade earlier.
"Since the Ethics Committee of FIFA said it would issue its decision before the end of the year, then we expect to complete its work and its decision on the merits," said Matthieu Reeb, CAS Secretary General.
"CAS calls on FIFA to not extend the temporary suspension of Michel Platini beyond January 5," Reeb said.
FIFA is indeed possible to extend 45 days the first three month suspension, issued on October 8.
For now, Platini will not preside on Saturday the draw for Euro-2016 in Paris.
French ex football player said "remain optimistic about the merits and on the strength of his dossier," according to AFP his lawyer, Thibaud d'Ales after CAS decision.
An optimism that surely has been lowered several degrees after the words Bantel to L'Equipe, which put Platini in a critical situation.
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