Michel Platini yesterday failed with his bid to have his 90-day suspension from football overturned as he continues on a campaign path for the FIFA Presidency which remains murky and fraught with hurdles he may not be able to clear.

The UEFA President must be the only person on the planet who has believed from day one that he may be allowed to stand to succeed Sepp Blatter, the Swiss who has overseen the most turbulent period in the history of world football’s governing body, but, remarkably, it may yet prove he was right all along.

While the CAS decision dealt a severe body blow to Platini, it wasn’t quite a knockout punch. The Frenchman’s candidature for the top job of an organisation that has been dragged through the mire since the explosive Congress in May has not yet been processed but he is holding on to a glimmer of hope.

This hope may have quickly faded last night, however, with reports in France suggesting FIFA’s Ethics Committee are considering banning Platini, who once dazzled the footballing world with his trickery out on the pitch, for life from the game.

But it is trickery of a different kind which Platini is now using as he tries to wriggle his way into a FIFA Presidential race which lacks real star quality.

The constant diatribe he is presenting is one of innocence as he continues to ramp up pressure on FIFA - he tried the same tactic, albeit unsuccessfully, with CAS - by claiming he has done nothing wrong, despite the cavernous nine-year gap between the work he carried out for FIFA and when he was paid CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) by Blatter for it.

CAS saw through Platini’s defiant exterior when they refused to throw out his suspension, imposed by world football’s governing body in October over that payment with Blatter, who was also banned, but they kept the UEFA President’s dream alive by refusing to prolong his forced absence from the game beyond the aforementioned period of time.

FIFA did have the power to extend Platini's ban for 45 days, which would have killed off his frankly audacious bid for good, but the CAS, which has seemingly been working overtime over the past six months or so, told the organisation they were not allowed to enforce this rule.

“The Panel found that such an extension would constitute an undue and unjustified restriction of Michel Platini’s right of access to justice, cause irreparable harm to him and also tip the balance of interest test in his favour,” a statement from CAS said.

It brought a wry smile to my face when I read Platini’s quotes as he walked towards the CAS in Lausanne on Tuesday (December 8) as he proclaimed, in his brash manner: “You know I don’t like injustices”.

Let’s take stock and be honest for a second. The “disloyal” payment at the centre of Platini’s woes, which could even lead to life bans for him and Blatter from the Ethics Committee, was an allegedly corrupt transaction made by an allegedly corrupt President and any presumption of innocence should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Let’s also not forget that this isn’t the first time Platini has been accused of wrongdoing as the Frenchman admitted he voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup. That particular bid process remains the subject of a criminal investigation.

Yet amid all the furore and outrage, we are presented with the possibility that Platini might become the next FIFA President as if his candidacy is accepted, despite the scandals, he may even win.

The CAS verdict may have been greeted with a smile in the camps of the other five candidacies for the FIFA hot-seat but they will continue to be concerned that Platini has not yet been ruled out.

While us journalists along with the footballing fraternity, including fans, players and pundits alike, are lamenting the current scandal engulfing world football at a governance level, those in power are probably not even batting an eyelid.

They aren’t concerned by what is written or said on television. After all, a lot of them, particularly in the South and Central American regions, have been implicated themselves, while the others may have benefited from a backhander or two themselves.

A few allegations, investigations and suspensions are hardly enough for some of the FIFA electorate to turn their back on a particular candidate and although a meagre amount of European Football Associations would more than likely vote against Platini, the others would be more than willing to show their support.

He also has one of the key powerbrokers in his corner in Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees, who has already thrown his considerable muscle behind the Frenchman.

These are even testing times for the Sheikh, who has vowed to fight a six-month prison sentence he has reportedly received from a court in his native Kuwait for allegedly insulting the judiciary, though he is still a man with great sway in the world of sport.

The Frenchman, who scored 41 goals in 72 appearances for his country during his stellar career, could also benefit from the fact that none of his five potential opponents are particularly strong, with the prospect of any of them  becoming FIFA President hardly a pleasing thought.

For a start, Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Al-Khalifa continues to be accused of being complicit in the arrests and torturing of footballers and other athletes in Bahrain following a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 - a crime far worse than pocketing the odd million or two - although Sheikh Salman denies the allegations and a report in Bahrain has found that he was not involved.

Even Sheikh Salman is wary of Platini, admitting last month he would “assess the situation” if the UEFA chief is able to stand.

The same goes for UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, a close ally of Platini who will surely bow out if his long-time boss is declared eligible despite perhaps wanting to finally become the bride after being a bridesmaid for so long.

Jordanian FA President Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who tried and failed to usurp Blatter at the Congress in May, lacks any real vigour when he speaks publicly and is not an astute enough politician to be a serious contender, and although some of the pledges in South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale’s manifesto seem plausible, I question whether he has enough global support for his candidacy to be successful.

The fifth and final candidate, Frenchman Jerome Champagne, didn’t achieve the required five nominations last time around and is perhaps merely making up the numbers in a race bereft of a clear favourite.

Liberian FA President Musa Bility and former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid still harbour hopes of standing, both of whom have added to the CAS workload by appealing their respective omissions from the race to the body. Decisions on both could come before Christmas.

Life for the CAS has been difficult of late, with a plethora of cases being put before them in recent times, but not quite as turbulent as for Platini, who had hoped they would see his side of the story.

But ultimately, his appeal was unsuccessful. I for one am hoping his FIFA Presidential endeavour is met with the same fate.