Sepp Blatter's lawyer has confirmed he will appeal his eight-year suspension ©Getty Images

Banned FIFA President Sepp Blatter will appeal his eight-year suspension from all footballing activity, his lawyer Richard Cullen has confirmed.

It follows the FIFA Ethics Committee announcing it had given both Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini the reasons for the pair's eight-year suspensions, clearing the way for the two to contest the decision.

The Swiss and the former France international were given the punishment in December over an alleged "disloyal" payment of CHF2 million (£1.4 million/$2 million/€1.8 million) made to Platini by outoing President Blatter.

Blatter was expected to appeal the ban and has always denied any wrongdoing, previously insisting that only FIFA’s congress had the power to remove him from a position he has held since 1998.

Both the Swiss and Platini were told they would be unable to bypass the Appeals Committee and go straight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Their cases have now been put forward to the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee.

“Suspended eight years for what?” the 79-year-old said following the Ethics Committee verdict in December.

“We go immediately once again to the appeal committee.

“We can go to the CAS.

“We go also to the Swiss [authorities].

“In the Swiss law to be suspended for eight years you must have committed something very, very important."

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini's appeals against their eight-year bans have been put forward to the FIFA Adjudicatory Chamber judge Hans-Joachim Eckert ©Getty Images
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini's appeals against their eight-year bans have been put forward to the FIFA Adjudicatory Chamber judge Hans-Joachim Eckert ©Getty Images

The announcement comes after Platini’s lawyer Thibaud d'Ales revealed that the Frenchman would appeal his ban.

Platini also confirmed last week he was withdrawing his attempt to succeed Blatter for the FIFA Presidency when the Swiss is due to stand down at an Extraordinary Congress in Zurich on February 26.

His decision left five confirmed candidates for the role - Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale, Frenchman Jérôme Champagne and Jordanian Football Association President Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

Shaikh Salman and Infantino, a trusted confidant of Platini, had both claimed they would withdraw from the race if the Frenchman was allowed to stand.

“The Adjudicatory Chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has fulfilled its commitment to provide the grounds for the respective decisions to Mr Blatter and Mr Platini within the first half of January 2016 as they had previously been informed,” a statement from FIFA read.

“After receiving the grounds for the decisions, both officials may lodge an appeal with the FIFA Appeal Committee."