Michel Platini submits appeal against FIFA ban before CAS

Paris: FIFA vice president Michel Platini on Friday submitted an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge the world football governing body's decision to ban him for a provisional period of 90 days.

Legal representatives of the Frenchman, who is also European football's governing body (UEFA) president, said in a statement the appeal has officially been submitted with the aim to lift the provisional suspension issued against him on October 8.

Platini announced two days ago that he intends to submit his appeal, and accused the governing body of deliberately delaying his candidacy for the FIFA presidential race.

Platini's lawyers said in a statement that the decision of FIFA's Appeal Committee to reject his appeal against the 90-day provisional ban by the Ethics Committee will force him to resort to CAS, as it is an "independent court that is free of the electoral context and pressures present at FIFA".

His attorneys maintain that Platini has complete confidence that CAS will restore all of his rights.

Until CAS issues its decision, Platini's legal team said that he will retain his presidential bid.

Platini argues that FIFA, through its domestic bodies, is conducting unfair and biased investigations, which represent a constant violation of the rights of the defence.