Friday 29 April 2016 11:09, UK
Michel Platini has begun his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his six-year ban from all football-related activity.
UEFA president Platini arrived at the court in Lausanne, Switzerland by taxi at 8am local time (7am BST) for a hearing that is expected to last eight hours.
"Today, we're at the beginning of the game, a new game, in the final ... I hope the outcome will be good," said Platini. "Of course, I am optimistic that we are going to win."
Platini and Sepp Blatter were punished in December over a £1.3m "disloyal payment" made to the Frenchman by the former FIFA president.
They were given eight-year suspensions by FIFA which were reduced by two years in recognition of their services to the game, but both deny any wrongdoing and neither is satisfied by the appeal verdict.
Both are challenging the bans at CAS, and a verdict from the three-member panel on Platini's case could come as early as Monday when UEFA gathers in Budapest ahead of an annual congress of 54 football federations who have been without their leader for seven months.
"Hopefully it will be early next week, maybe a little later," CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said. "The CAS tribunal will adapt itself to the needs of the parties."
Following the reduction in his sanction, Platini reacted to an "insulting" and "shameful" decision, by saying it was designed to prevent him from challenging for the FIFA presidency.
A lawyer representing Platini told L'Equipe earlier this week that he expected the former France captain to be cleared. UEFA will be keenly awaiting the outcome as it has delayed presidential elections until Platini's case is concluded.
Platini has already been invited to this summer's European Championships in France, but the ban from football-related activity would not allow him to attend the tournament in any capacity which could appear official.
