The ethics committee of the FIFA requested the lifetime suspension of UEFA president Michel Platini, said the lawyer of the former football player on Tuesday.
The measure could thwart the ambitions of UEFA president, Michel Platini, to replace Joseph Blatter.
Thibaut d'Ales will request the maximum penalty when the investigation unit of the FIFA ethics committee presents its final report in the case. In December, Michel Platini will appear before the ethics judge, Joachim Eckert.
Currently, Michel Platini has a 90-day suspension for a $2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011 as delayed salaries. He worked as an advisor to Blatter between 1998 and 2002, who will stand trial before the ethics committee in relation to the case.
Platini denies the accusations and argues that he received the money under a verbal contract with Blatter. "The exaggerated nature of this request really proves the complete lack of credibility of this commission," said D'Ales in a telephone interview. He added that "there is not a single piece of evidence in this case that proves these accusations."
It is estimated that Eckert will deliver his decision on the cases of Michel Platini and Joseph Blatter in December. Any sanction can be appealed before the FIFA appeals committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
D'Ales said he learned about the request on Monday and decided to publicly disclose it upon seeing that the information had been leaked to the press. He expressed that FIFA's goal is to prove that there was no contract between Platini and Blatter.
"Obviously, we have evidence that such an agreement did exist," said D'Ales. "We will submit the issue to the arbitration tribunal that will handle the case in a relatively short period of time."
A spokesperson for the FIFA ethics committee refused to confirm which sanction was requested last week.
Source: DPA