Platini to snub FIFA Ethics Committee hearing

Michel Platini will not attend his Ethics Committee hearing ©Getty Images

Michel Platini will not attend his FIFA Ethics Committee hearing as the Frenchman believes it has already been decided not to rule in his favour.

The 60-year-old was left angered by Ethics Committee spokesman Andreas Bantel, who reportedly said that the Presidential hopeful would receive a ban of "several years" at the hearing on Friday (December 18).

His lawyers claimed that the comments meant that FIFA had "breached the presumption of innocence" and hinted that their client, the President of European football governing body UEFA, may not turn up.

It has now been confirmed that he will not face FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who will announce a verdict after an investigation into a payment made to Platini by departing FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

This means that he will not be present to put across his side of the story.

“Michel Platini has decided not to attend his hearing at the FIFA Ethics Committee on 18 December 2015 as the verdict of this Ethics Committee has been announced in the press last weekend by one of its spokespersons, Mr Andreas Bantel, in disregard of all fundamental rights, starting with the presumption of innocence," said Platini's lawyers in a statement.

“By this decision Michel Platini means to express his deepest indignation with a process he regards as solely political and intended to prevent him from standing for the FIFA Presidency.”

Sepp Blatter will also face the Ethics Committee ©Getty Images

Platini has not had his candidature to replace Blatter as President assessed because he is serving a 90-day suspension which was handed out due to the probe into the payment.

He has been told that his case will be "reassessed" if he is found not guilty of wrongdoing but his slim hopes of succeeding the Swiss appear to be increasingly fading.

The payment being scrutinised was supposedly "disloyal" and valued CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million).

Blatter signed off on paying the amount to the former Juventus midfielder for work he supposedly carried out for FIFA between 1999 and 2002, but suspicions were raised as he was not paid until 2011.

The 79-year-old Blatter was also suspended for 90-days due to alleged wrongdoing surrounding the payment, as well as an allegedly "unfavourable" contract he signed with the Caribbean Football Union.

Like Platini, the Swiss denies all wrongdoing and has written to all 209 FIFA Associations to stress his innocence.

He is set to face the Eckert and the Ethics Committee tomorrow.

The Investigatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee has already requested sanctions against both men following its deliberations, with the case now in the hands of the Adjudicatory Chamber which is headed by Eckert.

FIFA rejected attempts by both Platini and Blatter to overturn their suspensions, while the former also lost an appeal bid at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.