By all accounts UEFA President Michael Platini looked the perfect candidate to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa President.
But this appears to have come to an end after the former three time European player of the year was together with Blatter suspended for eight years by Fifa’s ethics committee over an illegal payment of £1.3m.
Blatter was accused of illegally making the payment to Platini when the latter was working as a consultant for the suspended Fifa President.
In suspended the duo, Fifa’s ethics committee argued that there was no legal basis for the payment. The two however insisted that the payment was made on the basis of a verbal agreement which is acceptable under Swiss law.
Platini who has ruled UEFA since 2007 will now be hoping that the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) overturns the decision otherwise he will not contest in the forth-coming Fifa elections and his position at the European body is also in jeopardy.
The two men were initially suspended for 90 days each with concern rising over the management of Fifa.