FIFA banned the Frenchman, the former President of UEFA, for eight years in 2015 over an unexplained "disloyal" payment received from former FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

This was later reduced to six years on appeal by FIFA, and then again to four by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

As this suspension expired last year, Platini is free to work in football again.

His bid at the ECHR can be seen as an attempt to quash his ban as unlawful and return to the game with his reputation in tact.

He argued that the legal proceedings so far have not been fair and also claimed the ban was incompatible with his freedom to exercise a professional activity.

Other claims are that evidence used by CAS had been "illegal" while he suggested that FIFA's adjudicatory bodies were "subordinate" to its executive.

Both Platini and Blatter had claimed that the CHF2 million (£1.5 million/$2 million/€1.8 million) payment between the pair was made because of a verbal agreement for work the Frenchman carried out between 1998 and 2002.

FIFA's Ethics Committee dismissed this argument and said it was a "gift" or "undue payment", and this ruling was upheld by CAS.

The ECHR rejected Platini's claim under three of its Articles, including Article 6 – the right to a fair hearing.

Article 7 – no punishment without law – and Article 8 – right to respect for private and family life – were also considered.

On Article 8, the ECHE said: "The applicant had been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards.

"The court dismissed the Article 8 complaint, declaring it manifestly ill-founded."

FIFA have taken legal action to try and recoup the payment made to Platini, who was also detained for questioning in June by the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police in Paris.

This was as part of a probe into the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.

The former France international and three times Ballon d'Or winner was questioned on "technical grounds", according to his lawyer William Bourdon.

"FIFA has taken note of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to reject the appeal of Mr. Platini, which the Court considered to be manifestly ill-founded," world football's governing body said. 

"This judgment is in line with the decision of FIFA's Ethics Committee, which was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

"FIFA will continue to seek restitution of the CHF 2 million unduly paid by former FIFA President Joseph Blatter to Mr. Platini back in February 2011."

Blatter led FIFA for 17 years before he resigned days after being re-elected in May 2015.

He was banned for six years for his role in the affair.

Platini, considered as one of the best French footballers of all time, was widely viewed as a likely successor. 

The full ECHR ruling can be read here.