Kämpfe » announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers

ATHENS, Greece -- Michel Platini insisted his conscience was clear and he would continue the fight to overturn a FIFA ban in a farewell speech on Wednesday to European soccer leaders before his successor as UEFA president was elected.Platini was allowed by FIFAs ethics judge to deliver the UEFA congress address as a gesture of humanity, despite serving a four-year suspension from any role in soccer over an improper payment.Emerging from his FIFA-enforced exile, Platini used the platform in Athens to highlight his achievements since assuming the UEFA presidency in 2007 and issue advice to the next head of European soccer.There was applause from UEFA delegates but no standing ovation after Platini completed his address by declaring: Friends of football, farewell.Before then, without detailing the specifics of the wrongdoing, Platini insisted there was nothing improper about taking a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) from FIFA in 2011.Be assured that I have a clear conscience, that Im convinced I did not make the slightest mistake, and that Im continuing the legal battle, Platini told an audience which included FIFA President Gianni Infantino. I want to thank everyone in this room who had the courage and loyalty to support me during the past months.The 61-year-old Platini expected to have vacated the presidency by now to be serving as FIFA leader. But the ethics ban allowed Infantino, his former UEFA administrator, to assume Platinis self-proclaimed destiny to run world soccer.This is a juddering end to a decades-long career in soccer, with Platini going from winning titles with Juventus and France to becoming one of the sports most powerful leaders before being brought down in disgrace last year.Platinis four-year term through 2019 will be completed by Slovenian federation leader Aleksander Ceferin, who won the election later Wednesday in the Greek capital.Platini told the candidates that football is a game before a product, a sport before a market, a show before a market.For millions of people around the world, football is ... a flame, Platini said. We have done much together for nine years to develop and preserve this flame.After expressing confidence that football is on the right track, Platini warned that serious abuses are still undermining the sport.Continue to balance sports realities and economic interests, he said.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Jharel Cotton Athletics Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. Rick Monday Athletics Jersey . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/1355m-bert-campaneris-jersey-athletics.html . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Daniel Mengden Athletics Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Jason Giambi Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Parramatta have resisted calls to drop Semi Radradra, in the wake of domestic violence allegations, with the Australian Test winger to take on Cronulla on Saturday night at Shark Park.The NRL had asked for the 24-year-old to be stood down after Radradra was charged with three counts of domestic violence.He returned from a 12-day hiatus in Fiji on Thursday night during which he considered a code switch to French rugby union.Eels coach Brad Arthur had given RRadradra the option to stand down but, after he expressed his intention to plead not guilty, the club decided to stick by the prolific try scorer.ddddddddddddIn a big blow for the Sharks, star winger Valentine Holmes is a late withdrawal because of a hamstring injury with Gerard Beale to play on the right wing and mark Radradra. ' ' '