'Banned' Platini optimistic of lifting six-year FIFA ban

Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini has said he is optimistic about lifting his six-year ban from all football-related activities as he begins his appeal against the suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Platini, who was the favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as the FIFA president, is hopeful to win the case ahead of this year's Euro 2016 tournament, Sport24 reported.

Meanwhile, CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb confirmed that Blatter, FIFA and UEFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar and head of the Euro 2016 organizing committee, Jacques Lambert, would give evidence in Platini's case.

Platini, along with his FIFA counterpart Blatter, were banned for eight years in last December from all football-related activities over claims that the former had received a ' disloyal payment ' of 1.35 million pounds from the outgoing president in 2011.

In addition to lengthy bans, Blatter and Platini were also fined 50,000 and 80,000 Swiss francs respectively.

Both Platini and Blatter, however, refused all the allegations levied against them and had their bans reduced to six years by FIFA's Appeal Committee in February.