Platini hits back at spokesman

Michel Platini has reacted with anger to a spokesman for FIFA's ethics committee predicting he faces being suspended "for many years".

Spokesman Andreas Bantel told French sports newspaper L'Equipe the UEFA president is facing a heavy punishment from football's world governing body. The ethics committee is to hear a disciplinary case against Frenchman Platini next week over a £1.3million payment he received in 2011 from FIFA, signed off by Sepp Blatter.

"All of this is enough to suspend Blatter and Platini for several years," said Bantel. "Platini will certainly be suspended for several years."

But Platini said via a statement that he and his lawyers had learned "with anger and dismay" of the comments from Bantel.

"Mr Platini, whose sanction seems to have already been arranged by the FIFA ethics committee even before the explanations have been heard, firmly denounces these practices which bring to light the sham of the procedure of which he has been the subject for weeks."