Translate

Sports

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have lost appeals against their provisional FIFA suspensions.
The governing body's Appeal Committee upheld last month's decisions to ban president Blatter and potential successor Platini for 90 days over a 2011 payment received by the latter.
The two will now face a full hearing with FIFA's Ethics Committee, where guilty verdicts could result in much longer suspensions.
Blatter still has the option of going to the Ethics Committee's adjudicatory chamber in a bid to overturn his provisional ban, something Platini has already tried and failed to achieve.
Both can continue fighting their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and Platini's lawyers have indicated he will do so, but in the meantime the UEFA boss Platini is still currently barred from competing in February's FIFA presidential election.
The Frenchman is one of six declared challengers for the presidency, and a statement from his lawyers on Wednesday confirmed his appeal to CAS while accusing FIFA of "organising a deliberate and inadmissable strategy to delay Michel Platini's campaign".
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have lost appeals against their provisional FIFA suspensions
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have lost appeals against their provisional FIFA suspensions
The statement read: "This decision comes as no surprise. It was expected by Michel Platini and his lawyers. And it confirms that FIFA, through its internal bodies, is conducting a one-sided, unfair and biased investigation against Michel Platini, repeatedly violating his right to defend himself.
"FIFA is overseeing - without even attempting to hide it any longer - a deliberate and inadmissible delay of Michel Platini's campaign for the presidency; the decision of the Appeal Committee, dated 3 November, is notified to him two weeks later, today, without any glimpse of justification for this remarkably unusual delay.
"Despite his repeated requests, at no time has Michel Platini been able to put his case to the judges, which is simply outrageous.
"This decision does, however, have one great merit. It finally allows Michel Platini, as he has wanted to from the outset, to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an independent, principled court that is not impeded by the electoral context and pressures within FIFA.
"Michel Platini has full confidence that the CAS will restore all his rights. Meanwhile, he remains a composed and determined candidate for the FIFA presidency."
The provisional suspensions were handed down pending a full investigation into a Blatter-approved payment made to Platini in 2011 for work carried out between 1998 and 2002.
The Swiss Attorney has opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over the payment, but the 79-year-old and Platini deny any wrongdoing.
A Wednesday statement from Blatter's lawyer Richard Cullen read: "Noticeably absent from the opinion and these proceedings is any evidence of any improper motivation or purpose for the agreement between FIFA and Mr. Platini. 
 
"The Appeal Committee rendered this decision on 3 November but released it only today, over two weeks later.  President Blatter is committed to clearing his name and hopes this inexplicable delay is not an effort to deny him, during his elected term, a fair hearing before a neutral body.
"President Blatter will continue his appeals and looks forward to the opportunity to be heard, including through the presentation of evidence and argument of counsel, and thereby demonstrate he has engaged in no misconduct."

No comments:

Post a Comment