FIFA Presidental hopeful Platini fails to get suspension lifted at Court of Arbitration for Sport

Michel Platini has failed to have his suspension lifted at the Court of Arbitration for Sport ©Getty Images

Michel Platini has failed in a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) bid to have his 90-day ban from football lifted - although FIFA will not be allowed to extend his suspension.

The UEFA President was suspended by football's world governing body in October after a probe into a payment made to him by departing President Sepp Blatter, but is desperate to have the sanction lifted as he looks to keep alive his bid to succeed the Swiss.

His candidature for President has not yet been processed but the 60-year-old has a glimmer of hope as he has been told that his case will be "re-assessed" should his ban be lifted.

However, the CAS has decided that with the 90-day period due to expire on January 5, lifting the suspension now would "not cause irreparable harm" to either Platini or his bid for world football's top job.

They also noted that FIFA had made assurances that its Ethics Committee would announce a final decision before the January 5 deadline.

Matthieu Reeb, the Secretary General of the CAS, announced the verdict outside of the court in Lausanne this morning.

Matthieu Reeb announces that Platini's suspension will not be lifted ©Getty Images

"The CAS Panel emphasised that, even if the ban were lifted at this time, such measure would not give any guarantee to Michel Platini that the FIFA ad-hoc electoral committee would validate his candidature for the FIFA presidential election before 5 January 2016," a statement said.

FIFA did have the power to extend Platini's ban for 45 days - which would have definitely ruled him out of the Presidential race with the election taking place in Zurich on February 26.

However, the CAS has told FIFA it is not allowed to trigger the increase, which is permitted in "exceptional circumstances" under article 85 of the governing body's code of ethics.

"The Panel found that such an extension would constitute an undue and unjustified restriction of Michel Platini’s right of access to justice, cause irreparable harm to him and also tip the balance of interest test in his favour," the CAS statement said.

If the CAS had overturned FIFA's suspension, the Frenchman would have been allowed to attend Saturday's draw for the UEFA European Championship finals.

He was initially suspended due to an alleged “disloyal” payment of CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) made to him by Blatter, who was also suspended but has not taken his case to the CAS.

Both men deny wrongdoing but are reportedly facing lifetime bans from the game when FIFA announces its ruling.

The duo will face FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert on December 18, after the Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee requested sanctions following its deliberations.

Their cases are now in the hands of the Adjudicatory Chamber.

Platini claimed this week that a document published in Le Journal du Dimanche proves he is not guilty of corruption.

His lawyer Thomas Clay described it as "important evidence".

"My lawyers have done a very good job,” Platini said before the CAS verdict.

“You know that I don't like injustices."

The CAS panel presiding over his appeal was composed of French/American Clifford Hendel, Portugal's Rui Botica Santos and Ulrich Haas of Germany.