The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently upheld the 90-day provisional ban from soccer ruled by Fifa’s ethics committee against the president of Uefa.

As a result, Michel Platini was not allowed to attend the Euro 2016 finals draw which took place in Paris on Saturday 12 December.

The Frenchman has been on suspension since October, along with Fifa president Sepp Blatter, while corruption claims against them are probed. Platini and Blatter have denied the allegations.

At press time, Fifa’s ethics committee, which has already recommended a life ban for Platini, is hearings claims that the 60-year-old received a £1.35m payment in 2011 for work he carried out as Blatter’s adviser. 

A verdict is expected on Monday 21 December, and if the recommendation happens to go in Platini’s favour, it means he still has a chance of becoming the next Fifa president at a special congress on 26 February next.

While Metro Éireann has no intention of passing sentence against Platini, we do not think he is the right candidate to succeed Blatter for many reasons. Strongest of all is Platini’s acceptance of the “disloyal payment” from Blatter, which it’s claimed was for work done nine years earlier. The lack of specifics are worrisome.

If his ban is indeed lifted, we call on Platini to drop his plans to run for Fifa’s presidency in the name of protecting the restoring the tarnished image of the beautiful game.