ZURICH: FIFA has told Michel Platini he cannot bypass its appeals process by challenging his eight-year ban directly at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Platini had been hoping to cut out the required FIFA appeals procedure as he races to try to overturn his ban before the Feb. 26 presidential election.

FIFA says it wrote to Platini's lawyers on Tuesday to confirm that the UEFA leader can only go to CAS if the governing body's appeals committee first rejects his request.

Platini was banned Monday for eight years along with Sepp Blatter over a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) from FIFA that the president authorized for the former France captain.