Blatter and Platini to apply to Court of Arbitration for Sport after losing ban appeals

Sepp Blatter (left) and Michel Platini (right) are both set to apply for the Court of Arbitration

SEPP BLATTER and Michel Platini are both set to apply to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after losing their appeal against 90-day bans from football activity yesterday.

 

The pair were suspended in October after FIFA president Blatter was accused of making a "disloyal" payment to vice president Platini which was uncovered by a FIFA ethics committee investigation.

The 90-day ban is an interim punishment while corruption claims against them are examined further with the adjudicatory panel of FIFA's ethics committee is due to hold hearings into the misconduct charges before Christmas.

 

However, CAS now represents the final chance for either to clear his name before then, with Platini expected to lodge his case before the weekend.

His lawyer Thibaud d'Ales said: "For the first time since he was suspended he knows that he will be treated in a completely independent and fair way."

Blatter's American lawyer, Richard Cullen, added in a statement: "President Blatter is committed to clearing his name and hopes this inexplicable delay is not an effort to deny him, during his elected term, a fair hearing before a neutral body."