Michel Platini joins Sepp Blatter in appealing 90-day suspension

Michel Platini has appealed against FIFA's decision to hand him a provisional 90-day suspension, UEFA confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday.

FIFA's ethics committee banned the 60-year-old from football activities on Thursday after a payment the UEFA president received from the world body became part of a Swiss criminal investigation. The appeal committee will hear his case.

CONMEBOL, the governing body for football in South America, has also requested for Platini's suspension to be overturned. The confederation threw its support behind the Frenchman, and it believes that the suspension infringes upon his rights and hurts his chances of winning:

It is imperative that sporting justice continues its course in order to clarify all of the facts as soon and definitely as possible. At the same time the presumption of innocence is a fundamental right that has to be considered. Mr. Platini has not been found guilty of any charge, therefore the provisional ban jeopardizes the integrity of the electoral process to the FIFA presidency, of which Mr. Platini is a candidate. The CSF, considering the above, believes that the ban is untimely and disproportionate.

Blatter filed his own appeal on Friday against his 90-day sentence, arguing that he was not given a fair hearing.

Related: Sepp Blatter appeals 90-day suspension

Both bans expire before the election on Feb. 26, which could yet be delayed. Blatter has said he will not stand for re-election, but new integrity checks could rule Platini out of the running.