Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini is relaxed and still determined to become FIFA president, according to his lawyer.
FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that its presidential election will go ahead as planned on Feb. 26 despite both Platini and Sepp Blatter -- the current head of football's world governing body -- being hit with 90-day suspensions.
Both men were handed provisional bans by FIFA's ethics committee after it emerged that a 2 million Swiss franc (£1.35m) payment made by FIFA to Platini was being investigated by Swiss authorities.
Platini had already submitted his candidacy before his suspension, which he is challenging via FIFA's appeals committee. On Tuesday, FIFA said they would not rule on his eligibility for election until his ban is lifted.
Platini's lawyer Thibaud d'Ales welcomed the move, saying it would give the former Juventus midfielder time to concentrate on his appeal and to assert his rights.
D'Ales told France Info it was a "good and wise" decision not to rule him of contention, saying it showed FIFA had recognised that he was a "fully-fledged candidate."
"[Platini] is calm, determined and impatient," he said.
However, D'Ales also said he hoped that the latest decision would result in FIFA's appeals committee intensifying their work on the case.
"We had two days to appeal an initial decision," he added. "After 10 days, we still don't have any news of a schedule."
Platini confirmed this week that there was no written contract for the payment, which related to work that the former France international did for Blatter at least nine years previously.
Both men deny any wrongdoing, but on Tuesday Domenico Scala -- the chair of FIFA's audit and financial compliance committee -- said that the case represented a "classic conflict of interest."