UEFA say it is still possible to hold a presidential election before Euro 2016 if suspended president Michel Platini fails to overturn his six-year ban from the sport.

Platini was first banned for ethics violations in October, leaving UEFA without a president, and the Frenchman has taken his case to the Court of Arbitration which has promised to make a decision on his case by May 9.

UEFA said it would hold a meeting on May 18 which would either be a triumphant return for Platini, or otherwise to plot the next steps to find a replacement.

“We consider the meeting either the possibility to come back or the next steps,” acting general secretary Theodore Theodoridis told reporters.

“UEFA has learned to live under unusual circumstances and for the moment we haven’t faced major issues or major problems,” he added.

UEFA’s legal director Alasdair Bell told reporters yesterday that, following a change in the statutes last year, it was possible to stage the election before the 2016 European Championship starts in France on June 10, although that would not necessarily happen.

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