FIFA ethics committee calls for lifetime ban on Platini

Paris: The investigatory chamber of FIFA's ethics committee has asked for a lifetime ban on Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Michel Platini for his involvement in corruption, lawyers of the French football official said on Tuesday.

The decision of the ethics committee will be officially announced in December, reports Efe.

To follow the recommendation of the investigators would mean the end of Platini's career in football bureaus at a time when the Frenchman is running for the FIFA presidential election to be held on February 26, 2016.

Platini's lawyer Thomas Clay described the investigatory chamber's decision, led by Trinidadian Vanessa Allard, as absurd, delusional and discrediting the world football governing body, FIFA.

According to Clay, the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, which is investigating the payment of 1.8 million euros ($1.9 million) in 2011 by FIFA to Platini, asked late last week for the highest penalty possible.

The media speculated that a ban would be for six years, which also would have vetoed Platini's candidacy for the presidency of FIFA, but according to lawyers things have gone much farther.

The lifetime ban has only been issued twice by FIFA, against the American Chuck Blazer and against Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, who were also involved in corruption.