Michel Platini's eight-year ban appeal hearing starts in Zurich

Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini’s appeal against his eight-year ban from all football-related activity will be heard February 15 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Platini was banned in December 2015 over a ‘disloyal payment’ of $2 million made to him in 2011 which had been signed off by Sepp Blatter, the then FIFA president.

Blatter will also make an appeal against his own eight-year ban, a case that will be heard on Tuesday.

The purpose of the initiative is to maintain his position as President of UEFA, after the scandals forced him to withdraw from the race for the FIFA presidency.

Platini will however be forced to take his legal battle to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) should his appeals to have the sanction overturned by FIFA’s appeals committee fail.

FIFA’s presidential elections are scheduled for February 26.

Asian Football Confederation President, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino of Switzerland, Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, former FIFA executive Jerome Champagne of France and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale are the candidates.

On Friday, FIFA’s ethics committee banned the governing body’s former secretary general Jerome Valcke for 12 years for multiple breaches of the code of ethics, reports the Mirror.