UEFA president Platini sees final challenge ahead in 2019
Vienna - Michel Platini has his eye on one last
challenge in 2019, the year FIFA will elect its
president.
Given four more years to lead European
soccer's governing body on Tuesday, Platini
hinted at a news conference that he won't seek
another UEFA mandate. Platini, who turns 60 in
June, later told reporters that he has only one
job left to do in his career.
Also read: Blatter rivals slam FIFA leadership
"If I have to do something it is the last thing,"
the former France great said at a post-election
briefing. "I will be 64, there is a last thing to do.
I don't know if I want to go in UEFA or I want
to go in FIFA or I want to go in another part of
the world."
Platini was long seen as the likely next FIFA
president until Sepp Blatter reneged on a 2011
promise to leave this May. Instead, the 79-year-
old Blatter is favored to win a fifth term against
three UEFA-supported rivals.
Reflecting on the May 29 election, Platini
accused Blatter of using key decisions on the
World Cup to help his campaign.
UEFA and Platini want to protect Europe's 13
qualifying slots for future World Cups, and even
add a 14th. Blatter has ensured continental
quotas for the 2018 lineup in Russia will be
allocated at a special FIFA executive committee
session on May 30.
"That means he is playing with that," Platini
said of the timing of the decision on the day
after the election.
Platini also took a swipe at FIFA for not
following through on charges of unethical
behavior stemming from prosecutor Michael
Garcia's investigation into the 2018 and 2022
bidding contests. The former U.S. Attorney
resigned in December to protest at how ethics
judge Joachim Eckert acted on his
recommendations.
"Everybody knows that until the elections there
will be nothing," Platini told reporters. "We are
not stupid. Everybody knows."
Platini, who was interviewed for Garcia's probe,
said he doubted FIFA will release the full
dossier.
"I think it will be published after the elections.
But I am not sure that it will be the true
(report)," he said, recalling that FIFA lawyers
previously intervened to alter a report written by
FIFA's anti-corruption advisers.
Platini also noted the likely arrival on the FIFA
executive committee in May of Sheikh Ahmad
Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait. The
Olympic powerbroker is viewed as a potential
FIFA presidential candidate in 2019.
"It's a personage who was a strong electoral
base. He is very strong," Platini said.
Looking to the Champions League final on June
6, Platini said he had an agreement with the
governing body of soccer in South American to
allow players also selected for the Copa
America, which opens June 11 in Chile, to play
in Berlin.
"For me, not to play the Champions League
final?" said Platini, musing how a player could
react to being asked to miss the match. "I kill
them, I change nationality."
challenge in 2019, the year FIFA will elect its
president.
Given four more years to lead European
soccer's governing body on Tuesday, Platini
hinted at a news conference that he won't seek
another UEFA mandate. Platini, who turns 60 in
June, later told reporters that he has only one
job left to do in his career.
Also read: Blatter rivals slam FIFA leadership
"If I have to do something it is the last thing,"
the former France great said at a post-election
briefing. "I will be 64, there is a last thing to do.
I don't know if I want to go in UEFA or I want
to go in FIFA or I want to go in another part of
the world."
Platini was long seen as the likely next FIFA
president until Sepp Blatter reneged on a 2011
promise to leave this May. Instead, the 79-year-
old Blatter is favored to win a fifth term against
three UEFA-supported rivals.
Reflecting on the May 29 election, Platini
accused Blatter of using key decisions on the
World Cup to help his campaign.
UEFA and Platini want to protect Europe's 13
qualifying slots for future World Cups, and even
add a 14th. Blatter has ensured continental
quotas for the 2018 lineup in Russia will be
allocated at a special FIFA executive committee
session on May 30.
"That means he is playing with that," Platini
said of the timing of the decision on the day
after the election.
Platini also took a swipe at FIFA for not
following through on charges of unethical
behavior stemming from prosecutor Michael
Garcia's investigation into the 2018 and 2022
bidding contests. The former U.S. Attorney
resigned in December to protest at how ethics
judge Joachim Eckert acted on his
recommendations.
"Everybody knows that until the elections there
will be nothing," Platini told reporters. "We are
not stupid. Everybody knows."
Platini, who was interviewed for Garcia's probe,
said he doubted FIFA will release the full
dossier.
"I think it will be published after the elections.
But I am not sure that it will be the true
(report)," he said, recalling that FIFA lawyers
previously intervened to alter a report written by
FIFA's anti-corruption advisers.
Platini also noted the likely arrival on the FIFA
executive committee in May of Sheikh Ahmad
Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait. The
Olympic powerbroker is viewed as a potential
FIFA presidential candidate in 2019.
"It's a personage who was a strong electoral
base. He is very strong," Platini said.
Looking to the Champions League final on June
6, Platini said he had an agreement with the
governing body of soccer in South American to
allow players also selected for the Copa
America, which opens June 11 in Chile, to play
in Berlin.
"For me, not to play the Champions League
final?" said Platini, musing how a player could
react to being asked to miss the match. "I kill
them, I change nationality."
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