Infantino sad ex-boss Platini failed to overturn ban
Print Edition
GIANNI Infantino expressed sadness on Monday that Michel Platini failed to overturn his ban, despite the new FIFA president gaining soccer’s top job after charges of financial wrongdoing knocked his former boss out of the race.
Platini saw the FIFA presidency as his destiny, but the UEFA leader was prevented from running in February’s election when a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (US$2 million) from the global governing body was exposed..
Instead, Infantino was plucked from the relative of obscurity of the UEFA general secretary job to become Europe’s candidate to succeed Sepp Blatter.
Infantino received the news that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had reduced Platini’s ban to four years while in Mexico City preparing for his first congress as FIFA president.
“Obviously as FIFA president I need to respect the decision of the CAS — there is no doubt about that,” Infantino said. “On a personal level, of course, I am very sad about the decision. I have worked with Michel for the last nine years in UEFA, seven as general secretary. ... All together we did some great things.
“And I really want to focus on the positive memories.”
The CAS panel ruling clears a potential barrier to Infantino seeking a second term leading FIFA. The election will be in approximately May 2019, and Platini will remain banned until late 2019.
FIFA’s ethics committee provisionally suspended Platini along with Blatter in October and then banned them for eight years in December. FIFA’s appeal panel cut two years off their ban in February as reward for their long service to the sport.
Both men are appealing to CAS, but Platini’s case was heard first, and another two years were slashed from his ban.
Infantino hosted the first meeting on Monday of the FIFA Council, which has replaced the discredited executive committee following far-reaching corruption and bribery scandals.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
