Human Rights Court: Platini Lock Legally

Strasbourg (dpa) - Former UEFA President Michel Platini's four-year ban was lawful, according to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Strasbourg court rejected Platini's complaint. Given the seriousness of Platini's misconduct, the sentence did not appear to be excessive or arbitrary, as the ECHR explained.

Platini had filed a complaint against Switzerland against his ban. It was directed against the sanctioning procedures of the world football association FIFA and the arbitration award of the international sports court Cas in Lausanne.

The 64-year-old had the opportunity to contest the decision and put forward arguments to defend himself, the ECHR said. The decision of the Court is final.

According to the court documents, Platini had seen the violation of several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. Platini therefore saw the right to a fair trial and the freedom under Article 8 of the Convention to exercise a professional activity violated.

In 2015, Platini and FIFA President Sepp Blatter were initially banned from all football activities for eight years. The reason was a dubious payment of two million Swiss francs, which the former President of the European Football Union received in 2011 from ex-FIFA boss Joseph Blatter.

Platini and Blatter had always argued that the money was a late payment for consultancy. The former FIFA boss was therefore also banned. The lock on Platini was then reduced to four years after a decision by the International Sports Court in Cas.

FIFA took note of the Court's decision, it said in a statement. The world association continues to insist on a repayment of the two million Swiss francs from Platini. These were wrongly paid.