French sports minister stands by Platini, regrets suspension

Posted December 22, 2015 6:00 am

The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) - France's sports minister says he supports Michel Platini and regrets his eight-year ban from world soccer.

Platini, the president of European football's governing body UEFA - which is staging the European Championship in France next year, was suspended on Monday along with FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Sports minister Patrick Kanner said Tuesday on Europe-1 radio that "I regret it because I'm not sure the core (of the case against Platini) was assessed in good conditions."

Platini, a France great in his playing career, was banned because of a $2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011 which was judged by FIFA's ethics commission to be a conflict of interest and disloyal to the world body.

Kanner said "I support the president of UEFA, even if he's suspended."

FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2008 file photo UEFA president Michel Platini, left, and FIFA president Sepp Blatter stand back to back as they attend a meeting of European sports ministers in Biarritz, southwestern France. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been banned for 8 years, the FIFA ethics committee said Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Bob Edme, file) The Associated Press

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