Andreas Bantel was quoted by L'Equipe as saying that the FIFA Presidential hopeful faced a suspension of "several years" following an investigation into a payment made to him by departing head Sepp Blatter.

Platini, the UEFA President who was suspended for 90-days along with Blatter by FIFA in October, failed in a Court of Arbitration for Sport bid to have the sanction overturned yesterday.

Both men deny wrongdoing and are set to face FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert on December 18 with their cases now in the hands of the Ethics Committee's Adjudicatory Chamber.

The Investigatory Chamber has already concluded its deliberations and has requested sanctions.

"Platini will certainly be suspended for several years," said Bantel.

"As for Blatter, there is no difference for him between a suspension of a few years and a life ban."

The cases against both men were brought due to the payment of CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) which was allegedly "disloyal" and not in the interests of FIFA.

The money was supposedly for work Platini carried out for FIFA between 1999 and 2002, but he was not paid until 2011 and the nine-year gap has caused suspicion. 

The former Juventus midfielder has previously claimed that FIFA could not afford to pay him the full amount at the time and that he "did not actively pursue" the matter before eventually asking for the outstanding balance to be settled.

"We have learned with anger and dismay the comments of Mr Andreas Bantel," said a statement from Platini's lawyers to AFP.

"He has breached the presumption of innocence and demonstrates the political objectives being pursued by FIFA's Ethics Committee."

Sixty-year-old Platini still has slim hopes of replacing 79-year-old Blatter when FIFA holds its Presidential election in Zurich on February 26.

He has been told that his proposed candidacy will be "reassessed" if any sanctions against him are lifted.  

Platini claimed this week that a document published in Le Journal du Dimanche proved his innocence.

His lawyer Thomas Clay described it as "important evidence". 

"My lawyers have done a very good job,” Platini said before the CAS verdict.



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