Former UEFA President Michel Platini continued to maintain that he had not made any mistake in spite of being banned for four years for ethics violations over receiving a "disloyal payment" worth over $2 million. Addressing the European football governing body's Congress on Wednesday, the Frenchman said his conscience was clear and that he would continue to fight for justice in the courts, reported Reuters.
Platini was banned after FIFA's ethics committee found that he had received a payment of two million Swiss francs in 2011 for work done between 1998 and 2002. The payment was made with the approval of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has also been banned for four years. Both Platini and Blatter were initially banned for eight years, before the length was reduced following appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In spite of the ban, the FIFA ethics committee allowed Platini to address the Congress as a "gesture of humanity".
"Thank you. Thank you for these nine years," said Platini. "I think we did a great job... Friends of football, farewell...It's very emotional for me to be here but I'm also delighted to be here because this will be my last speech to a UEFA Congress. You are going to continue this wonderful mission without me for reasons I don't want to go into today. I have a clear conscience, I am certain not to have made any mistake and will continue to fight this in the courts," he added.
The 61-year-old was even given a standing ovation by UEFA delegates. UEFA is set to elect Platini's successor during the Congress, with Slovenian Football Association President Aleksander Ceferin and Dutch FA head Michael van Praag being the two candidates.