UEFA president Michel Platini has resigned from European football’s governing body after failing to have a six-year ban from football overturned, the BBC reports.
A Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel reduced the ban to four years on Monday.
Following the judgment, the ex- French international said he was stepping down.
Platini and former FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter, were last year found guilty of ethics breaches over a $2m (£1.3m) “disloyal payment.”
UEFA President Michel Platini, appeared on Monday at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich to appeal against an eight-year ban from football.
Platini and outgoing FIFA President, Joseph Blatter were banned in a ruling by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee on December 21, over ethics breaches concerning a “disloyal payment” of 2 million dollars made to Platini in 2011.
Platini said as he arrived at FIFA headquarters that he was not there to fight for his future, rather he was there to fight against injustice.
“If I had anything to reproach myself, I would be in Siberia to hide in shame,” he said.
Former France playing star Platini, 60, has denied any wrongdoing and also intends to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
The hearings come just over a week before FIFA was due to elect a new president in Zurich on February 26.
Platini had intended to run for the FIFA presidency, but withdrew his candidacy last month following the ban.
Blatter and Platini are ruled to have breached FIFA articles relating to offering and accepting gifts, a conflict of interest, loyalty and general rules of conduct.
The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee said in its December ruling that Blatter and Platini “did not show commitment to an ethical attitude.”
It said both failed to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework and demonstrated an abusive execution of their positions within FIFA.
The committee said in addition to his ban, Platini should pay 81,100 dollars fine.
A FIFA official said on condition of anonymity that Blatter’s appeal against his eight-year ban is due to be held by the FIFA appeals committee on Tuesday.
He said it is thought the FIFA appeals committee could also make a ruling this week.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini have been suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) “disloyal payment” made to Platini in 2011.
The FIFA ethics committee found Blatter and Platini had demonstrated an “abusive execution” of their positions.
“I will fight for me and for FIFA,” Blatter, 79, said at a news conference.
Sepp Blatter: “The committee has no right to go against the president”
Both men continue to deny wrongdoing and intend to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Swiss Blatter and 60-year-old Frenchman Platini have also been fined £33,700 ($40,000) and £54,000 ($80,000) respectively.
FIFA boss since 1998, Blatter had already announced he was quitting with a presidential election in February.
Platini was tipped as a future leader of football’s world governing body and is a three-time European Footballer of the Year. He is also a former captain of France and has been in charge of UEFA – European football’s governing body – since 2007.
The ethics committee of world football governing body FIFA has recommended that UEFA president Michel Platini be banned for life.
A report said on Tuesday in Zurich said Vanessa Allard, Chief Investigator of the ethics committee, while presenting the report pushed for a life ban on Platini.
Meanwhile, FIFA has announced that Platini’s fate would be decided at a hearing to be chaired by Germany’s Hans-Joachim Eckert in December.
Outgoing FIFA president Joseph Blatter and Platini were provisionally suspended by FIFA on Oct. 7 and had an appeal turned down last week.
The suspensions came in connection with a Swiss criminal investigation against Blatter over a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs (dollars) to Platini in 2011, for work done between 1998 and 2002.
Platini and Blatter have said they did nothing wrong in connection with the payment but admitted there was no written contract.
Former French international Platini was considered a favourite to replace Blatter at an extraordinary congress set for Feb. 26, before being caught up in one of the scandals which have blighted FIFA this year.
Platini has submitted his candidacy to succeed him but he has not yet been approved to stand.
That depends on what, if any sanctions, are imposed on him by the ethics committee and passing an integrity check.
The adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee has opened proceedings against suspended President Sepp Blatter and European soccer boss, Michel Platini after ethics investigators called for sanctions against both men, the football’s world governing body said on Monday.
FIFA said on Monday the adjudicatory chamber intends to come to a decision during December.
Reuters reported the duo were suspended for 90 days in October.
FIFA President Joseph Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini have been provisionally banned from all football activities for 90 days by the organisation’s Ethics Committee.
In further sanctions, FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, had been suspended for 90 days, while South Korean former FIFA Vice-President, Chung Mong Joon, had also been banned for six years by the Committee’s adjudicatory chamber.
A statement said the duration of the bans may be extended for an additional period not exceeding 45 days, which would cover the FIFA extraordinary congress to elect a successor to Blatter in Zurich on Feb. 26.
Report says Platini and Chung are two of the three candidates so far standing for election, while the other is Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan.
The Ethics Committee said the bans were with immediate effect “and cover all football activities on a national and international level.
“This will include the draw in Paris on Dec. 12 for Euro 2016, a showcase for UEFA pesident Platini,’’ the Ethics Committee said.
A new FIFA president will be elected at an Extraordinary Congress on February 26 next year, Goal reports.
The date was confirmed on Monday following an Extraordinary General Meeting of the governing body in Zurich, Switzerland.
Outgoing president Sepp Blatter laid down his mandate back in June, just four days after he won a fifth consecutive term by beating Prince Ali bin Hussein May election.
Blatter’s decision to step down came in the wake of a corruption probe in which 14 people, including nine FIFA officials, were indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and corruption two days before that election.
And his presidency will now end in seven months’ time, with UEFA president Michel Platini widely tipped as a front-runner to succeed him.
Platini has not confirmed whether he will stand but is reported to have the support of Europe, South America and Asia as well as the CONCACAF confederations.
It is unclear who would potentially run against Platini, although former Brazil international Zico has also stated he would like to stand for the presidency.
FIFA will lack credibility as long as Sepp Blatter remains president, according to Michel Platini.
Blatter is seeking to extend his 17-year stay as FIFA chief by winning a fifth term in office in the upcoming presidential elections.
FIFA has faced intense scrutiny in recent times, particularly over claims of corruption relating to the bidding process into the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, while the organisation has been urged to do more to improve human rights conditions in 2022 host-nation Qatar.
UEFA president Platini insists he has no personal issue with Blatter, but stated that FIFA is in need of change to improve its image.
“I have nothing against Sepp. I like him as a person and I respect him. We have had some good times together, and nothing and no one can take that away,” he said in an interview with L’Equipe.
“[But] he does not have to lie. We all know that it [standing for re-election] is not because he has not finished his mission or because he still has big plans for FIFA.
“After 40 years at the head of an institution that speech cannot be credible. No, he is simply afraid of tomorrow because he has dedicated his life to FIFA, so much so that he identifies with it completely.
“I understand the fear of that emptiness that he must have, it’s natural. But if he really loves FIFA he should have put its interests ahead of his own.
“And while he remains in place, whether he likes it or not, FIFA will lack credibility and its image will be tarnished.”
Michael van Praag and Luis Figo both withdrew from the presidential race last week, leaving Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as the sole candidate to challenge Blatter.
And Platini has reiterated his support for Prince Ali’s campaign.
“I maintain, personally, [my support for] Prince Ali,” he added. “I am convinced that Prince Ali, who I know personally, will make a great president of FIFA.
“He has all the qualities. He has been president of a national federation for 15 years, he was a member of the executive committee of his federation and vice-president of FIFA.”