Thibaud d’Ales said Platini had received overnight from world governing body the reasons behind the ban. “We’ll read them, analyse them and launch an appeal on Monday,” D’Ales said. FIFA’s ethics tribunal earlier said it had provided Sepp Blatter and Platini with the reasons for its decision to ban them from football for eight years, clearing the way for them to appeal against the decision. Blatter and Platini had to wait until receiving the document before they could take their cases to FIFA’s appeals committee. Meanwhile, a statement from FIFA’s ethics committee said: “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent ethics committee has fulfilled its commitment to provide the grounds for the respective decisions to Mr Blatter and Mr Platini within the first half of January 2016 as they had previously been informed. “After receiving the grounds for the decisions, both officials may lodge an appeal with the FIFA appeal committee.” Blatter and Platini were banned for eight years on December 21 over a £1.3million payment to the Frenchman in February 2011, signed off by Blatter. They say the payment was made on the basis of an oral agreement between them 13 years previously when Platini worked as Blatter’s technical adviser. The timing of the payment raised suspicions however – it came as Blatter was preparing to stand for a fourth term as FIFA president and facing a challenge from Qatar’s Mohamed Bin Hammam. If the appeals to FIFA do not succeed, Blatter and Platini can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.]]>