UEFA presidential election: Michel Platini says “conscience is clear”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former EUFA president Michel Platini said his "conscience is clear" as he spoke to European football's governing body for what is likely to be the last time, BBC Sport said.

Platini, 61, was last year banned from football activity for breaching ethics rules over a £1.3m "disloyal payment."

Earlier this week, world governing body FIFA gave the Frenchman permission to speak at Wednesday, September 14's meeting in Athens, at which UEFA will elect his successor.

"I am certain that I committed not the slightest fault," said Platini.

"I am continuing to fight legally. Just simply know that my conscience is clear.

"You are going to continue this beautiful mission without me, for reasons that I do not wish to come back on."

Uefa will name its new president - either Slovenian FA president Aleksander Ceferin or Dutch FA boss Michael van Praag - later on Wednesday.

The ethics committee of world governing body FIFA handed down an initial eight-year ban for Platini and Fifa's then-president Sepp Blatter last year.

It related to a payment of 2m Swiss Francs Blatter made to the Frenchman in 2011.