UEFA president Michel Platini’s bid to become the new head of world football’s governing body FIFA has taken a huge hit, with the English FA suspending their support for the French legend.
Once seen as a beacon of light in the ever-growing corrupt football world, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner and former Juventus ace is now seeing his name being tracked through mud after being suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethic committee.
Platini was suspended over a fee that he received from Sepp Blatter worth £1.35m for what the UEFA president claims was payment for being the 92-year-old’s paid advisor from January 1999 to July 2002, though the payment was made 9 years later in 2011, believed to be without any written contract.
As a result, the FA, a once vivid support of Platini in his attempts to replace Blatter at FIFA, have now announced, after meeting with Platini's lawyers, that they will cease to support any potential presidential candidacy from the Frenchman until a conclusion has been reached in the legal process.
“The FA wishes Mr Platini every success in fighting these charges and clearing his name, and has no interest in taking any action that jeopardises this process,” read the statement by the FA.
“However, notwithstanding the above, at the Uefa meeting on Thursday the FA learnt more information relating to the issues at the centre of this case from Mr Platini’s lawyers. We have been instructed that the information must be kept confidential and therefore we cannot go into specifics.
“As a result of learning this information, the FA Board has this morning concluded that it must suspend its support for Mr Platini’s candidature for the Fifa presidency until the legal process has been concluded and the position is clear. A decision can then be taken on who to support in the presidential election on 26 February 2015.”
Asian Football Confederation president Shaikh Salman is believed to be an ideal candidate and is poised to toss his hat into the presidential race soon.
Platini’s candidacy is under threat, on the other hand, with the deadline for the presidential nominations being on October 26, with FIFA revealing that anyone under provisional suspension is not eligible for nomination.
