Michel Platini (left) with Sepp Blatter in happier times.
UEFA president Michel Platini withdrew his support from FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter yesterday, plunging world football into open warfare. “I am supporting him no longer, it’s finished,” said Platini. “He knows it, I told him. I think FIFA needs a new breath of fresh air.”
Platini said he agreed with his fellow UEFA members that it was time for 78-year-old Blatter, who has been in power since 1998, to call it a day when his mandate ends next year.
“I share the European position,” said 58-year-old Platini. “A new mandate for him would not be good for football. But he is a person one has to respect and he has all my respect.”
Platini, who won great praise in 1998 for his organisation of the World Cup hosted by France, indicated that he and his members had not been happy with the Congress.
Several of Platini’s colleagues had openly confronted Blatter on Tuesday when he addressed their association telling him that his claims the British media’s motivation in investigating the Qatar bid were “racist” were without foundation.
The FIFA leader was helped by a congress vote not to consider age- and term-limits for officials. He later denied having any designs on a life-time presidency
“Well it wasn’t the Europeans who blocked the reforms, it was clear who voted against the age limit,” said Platini.
However, Platini still would not commit himself to a run for the FIFA presidency. At present there is just one candidate—former FIFA deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne. “It is an option to run but it is not because Sepp Blatter is a candidate that Michel Platini won’t be,” said Platini.
“In any case this situation it is not exactly as if I have to choose in between going to hospital or to prison,” he said laughing.