Platini appeal on February 15 – sources

Michel Platini’s appeal against his eight year ban from football will be heard by FIFA judges on February 15, a source close to the suspended UEFA president told AFP on Friday.

“The appeal will be held on February 15,” the source said.

The 60-year-old Frenchman was banned for eight years on December 21 over a two million Swiss franc ($2 million/1.8 million euro) payment that FIFA leader Sepp Blatter authorised for Platini. Blatter was also banned for eight years.

The appeal is to be heard by world football’s governing body’s appeals commission.

FIFA’s ethics committee has also said it will appeal against the sentence saying it is too lenient.

Anti-corruption investigators had originally sought a life ban from all football activity against Blatter and Platini.

The ethics judges rejected corruption charges but said the two most powerful men in the game had abused their positions in making the controversial payment in 2011 for consultancy work carried out a decade earlier.

Until the scandal erupted, Platini was the favourite to succeed Blatter in the February 26 presidential election.

Depending on next month’s verdict Platini has said he is prepared to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

Blatter, who wants to preside at next month’s extraordinary congress in Zurich, is still waiting to hear when his appeal will be heard.