Michel Platini: Ex-Uefa president loses appeal to European Court of Human Rights

Former France international Michel Platini was voted in as Uefa president in 2007

Michel Platini's ban from football "was justified" said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after rejecting the ex-Uefa president's appeal.

Platini and former Fifa counterpart Sepp Blatter were found guilty in 2015 of ethics breaches over a 2m Swiss Franc (£1.3m) "disloyal payment".

The Frenchman was initially given an eight-year ban which was eventually reduced to four on appeal.

The ECHR said the sanction "did not appear excessive or arbitrary".

• Read the full judgement here

Platini, 64, resigned from his role as Uefa president in 2016 after his appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (Cas) was rejected, although the length of the sanction was reduced to four years, having already been cut to six in February that year.

However, the fine of 60,000 Swiss Francs (£33,700 at the time) remained, which Platini said, in October, he would not be paying until ECHR's ruling had been issued.

Regarding this latest appeal to the ECHR, Platini challenged Cas' judgment on three grounds: a right to a fair hearing, that Fifa rules had been used retrospectively against him and that the ban was excessive.

In its judgement, the ECHR said: "The court found in particular that, having regard to the seriousness of the misconduct, the senior position held by Mr Platini in football's governing bodies and the need to restore the reputation of the sport and of Fifa, the sanction did not appear excessive or arbitrary."

Fifa said it had taken note of the judgement which it says was in line with the original decision of its ethics committee, and then confirmed by Cas and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. It said it was continuing to pursue the 2m Swiss Francs sent by Blatter to Platini.

Blatter's 17-year spell in charge of Fifa ended in 2015 and he is currently serving a six-year ban from football.

Both Blatter and Platini deny any wrongdoing.