PARIS: Michel Platini, seeking election to lead world football body FIFA out of the worst corruption scandal in its history, could face a life ban from the sport over funds he received from suspended FIFA head Sepp Blatter, a spokesman for the Frenchman’s lawyer said on Tuesday.

European football chief Platini was the leading candidate to replace Blatter at a special FIFA congress to be held in Zurich in February until he became embroiled in a wider graft scandal over a 2 million Swiss franc ($1.97 million) payment from FIFA in 2011.

A media consultant representing Platini’s lawyer Thibaud d’Ales confirmed a report in French sports newspaper, L’Equipe.

“Miss [Vanessa] Allard is the investigator in chief for the FIFA ethics committee. I can confirm that she is proposing to the ethics committee a ban for life,” the said.

D’Ales revealed the FIFA’s life ban demand which he described as a “scandal” and “excessive”.

“This ban is subject to the proof of corruption, but the punishment is clearly excessive,” he said.

Platini faces a hearing before FIFA ethics judge Joachim Eckert in December.

“The overreaching of the request really convinces us of this commission’s total lack of credibility,” D’Ales said. “There is not a single tangible element in this case that can confirm the suspicions.”

Blatter’s representatives refused to comment on whether the same request has been made against the Swiss official.

Platini is currently serving a 90-day ban over the $2 million payment of FIFA money he received in 2011 as backdated salary. He worked as a presidential adviser from 1998-2002 for Blatter, who also faces the ethics court’s judgment in the case.

Platini denies wrongdoing and says he had a verbal contract with Blatter to receive the money.

Eckert is expected to give his verdicts in the cases of Platini and Blatter in December. Any sanctions can be challenged at the FIFA appeals committee and Court of Arbitration for Sport.

D’Ales said he was informed of the ethics committee’s request on Monday and decided to make it public after it leaked in the French press. He said FIFA’s aim is to prove that there was no contract between Platini and Blatter.

“Obviously we’ve got the proof that such a deal existed,” D’Ales said. “We will submit it to CAS, which will handle the case within a fairly short space of time.”

The French newspaper Liberation first revealed the life ban demand and the lawyer said this was a deliberate leak.

Platini aims to clear his name and stand as a candidate in the FIFA presidential election on Feb 26 to succeed Blatter, who is stepping down.

Blatter announced his exit plans on June 2 under pressure from American and Swiss federal investigations into bribery and corruption at FIFA.

The scandal around FIFA broke in May when 14 officials including two former vice-presidents were indicted in the United States for corruption.

Switzerland’s attorney-general has opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over the $2 million payment as suspected criminal mismanagement of FIFA money.

Platini was quizzed on Sept 25 at FIFA headquarters as “between a witness and an accused person,” according to attorney general Michael Lauber.

D’Ales maintained there was a concerted effort inside FIFA to prevent Platini taking part. The 60-year-old French football legend had been favourite for the FIFA post until the latest charges were announced.

“It’s a pure scandal, and by making it public there’s clearly an intention to cause harm,” D’Ales said. “The masks are slipping one by one at FIFA — the electoral timetable is being manipulated and there is a strategy to get rid of Platini as a candidate.”

On Saturday, FIFA’s ethics committee, citing privacy and the presumption of innocence, said it would not disclose the nature of the punishments requested against Platini and Blatter.

A spokesman for the FIFA ethics committee’s investigatory chamber declined to confirm what sanction was requested last week.

“We are entitled to comment but we decided for reasons of personality rights and the presumption of innocence not to publish the request,” Andreas Bantel said.

“I can confirm that Michel Platini and his lawyers have got the report and they have also received the request of the investigative committee. They know what is in the report and they are free to comment on it.”

A FIFA life ban has been overturned by CAS in the past.

Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar had his expulsion by FIFA overturned on appeal in July 2012, more than one year after a bribery allegation ended his presidential campaign against Blatter.

The CAS panel said a FIFA investigation did not prove Bin Hammam was the source of $40,000 bribes to Caribbean voters, though it suspected he was.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2015