Platini takes corruption appeal to human rights court

Platini was originally suspended for eight years FIFA in 2015 over a two million Swiss francs payment he received from the world football governing body for consultancy work.

Platini’s sanction was reduced by two years on appeal and then reduced again to four years by another appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Disgraced former France star Michel Platini has appealed against his suspension from football for corruption to the European Court of Human Rights.

“It’s a question of honour for me. I want to be granted justice,” the 62-year-old former UEFA president told today’s edition of Le Monde newspaper.

Platini was originally suspended for eight years FIFA in 2015 over a two million Swiss francs payment he received from the world football governing body for consultancy work, a transaction that also saw former FIFA president Sepp Blatter handed a long ban.

Platini’s sanction was reduced by two years on appeal and then reduced again to four years by another appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But a further appeal in the Swiss courts failed and his suspension is due to end in October 2019.

“This appeal is consistent with what I’ve always said: I have done nothing wrong and I’m determined to exercise my full rights and to prove my innocence,” added Platini, a dashing playmaker for Saint Etienne and Juventus during his playing career before becoming France coach and then the head of UEFA.

“I don’t want to give up.”

Platini’s lawyer Vincent Solari confirmed to AFP that his client had filed the appeal.