ATHENS, Greece -- Michel Platini will be allowed to address European soccer leaders before his successor as UEFA president is elected, despite serving a four-year ban from the sport.UEFAs eagerness to ensure Platini can deliver a speech in Athens on Wednesday is in keeping with how the body has stood by the disgraced Frenchman since he was first suspended in October. No interim leader was installed as Platini was allowed to exhaust all legal routes in an attempt to overturn his ban over a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) from FIFA in 2011.The ban prevents Platini from holding any position of power in soccer or carrying out any activity that gives the impression he is still acting as an official. But the FIFA ethics committee said UEFA asked for an exception for Mr. Platini to be able to make a short farewell address at the congress in the Greek capital.The chairman of the adjudicatory chamber, Mr. Hans-Joachim Eckert, granted this exception as a gesture of humanity, the judges office said in a statement to The Associated Press.After being led since 2007 by Platini, a former France captain, UEFAs next president will be a largely unknown administrator -- either UEFA vice president Michael van Praag of the Netherlands or Slovenian federation leader Aleksander Ceferin.Platinis home federation of France has publicly backed Ceferin, as has Poland federation president Zbigniew Boniek, a former teammate of Platini at Juventus.In Athens, Platini is due to be publicly re-united with former UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, who seized on his boss being banned to pursue the FIFA presidency.Sepp Blatter, who was banned along with Platini for authorizing the payment, was not allowed to deliver a similar farewell address to the FIFA congress in February when Infantino was elected president.The careers of Platini and Blatter effectively ended when Swiss police raided FIFA after an executive committee meeting last September and questioned both about the payment.Switzerlands attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, while Platini is being treated as between a witness and an accused person. There has been no recent update on the status of the case.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Rockies Jerseys 2020 . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Wholesale Rockies Jerseys . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Rockies Jerseys China . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. LAFAYETTE, La. -- Frank Bartley IV hit three 3-pointers and finished with 19 points, Justin Miller scored 18 with nine rebounds and four assists and Louisiana-Lafayette cruised to a 101-69 win over Nicholls State on Thursday night.Bartley made 7 of 9 from the field while P.J. Hardy had 12 points and Bryce Washington added 11 points with 10 rebounds. Scott Plaisance and Jerekius Davis scored 10 apiece for Louisiana.Miller scored 12 and the Ragin Cajuns made 20 of 33 (60.6 percent) to take a 48-35 lead into halftime. TThey scored the first nine points and never trailed as Nicholls State (4-4) shot 40 percent, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range, and committed nine of its 22 turnovers in the first half.ddddddddddddJaDante Fryes 3-pointer pulled the Colonels within 10 with 15:49 left but ULL scored 18 of the next 22.DeAndre Harris led Nicholls State with 21 points.Louisiana scored 41 points off turnovers. ' ' '
