Michel Platini's lawyer says his client still hopes to stand in the FIFA presidential election despite being hit with an eight-year ban from football.Platini and Sepp Blatter were the presidents ofUEFA and FIFA respectively before being banned from all footballing activity on Monday.FIFA's ethics committee handed down the punishment for a conflict of interest in a two million Swiss franc (£1.35 million) payment that is also being investigated by Swiss authorities.The ban is a massive blow to Platini, who had been hoping to succeed Blatter by winning the Feb. 26 election next year.The former France international, who described the process that condemned him asa "real farce," is currently forbidden from standing in the FIFA presidential election.But one of his lawyers, Thomas Clay, believes Platini could yet get his name on the ballot paper if his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is successful."The schedule is tight but it only needs the CAS to give their verdict around January 15-20-- which is quite possible in the state of proceedings -- so that Michel Platini might be authorised to compete," Clay told RMC."He hasn't given up on his schedule at all. Thathe wants to be cleared is obviously a major concern for him but that doesn't mean that he has given up on his FIFA candidacy."Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Tokyo Sexwale are currently thefive confirmed candidates to stand for the FIFA presidency.
