PARIS --
France's sports minister says he supports Michel Platini and regrets his eight-year ban from world soccer.
Platini, the president of European football's governing body UEFA - which is staging the European Championship in France next year, was suspended on Monday along with FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Sports minister Patrick Kanner said Tuesday on Europe-1 radio that ''I regret it because I'm not sure the core (of the case against Platini) was assessed in good conditions.''
Platini, a France great in his playing career, was banned because of a $2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011 which was judged by FIFA's ethics commission to be a conflict of interest and disloyal to the world body.
Kanner said ''I support the president of UEFA, even if he's suspended.''
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.