- Title: SOCCER-UEFA/PLATINI Platini ducks FIFA talk, praises his work at UEFA
- Date: 28th August 2015
- Summary: MONACO (AUGUST 28, 2015) (REUTERS) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE OF PLATINI NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS CAMERA FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English/French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "In any case, my destiny is clear in UEFA. Either I leave UEFA in four months, because as you know I am candidate (for FIFA presidency), on the 26th of October, or I leave UEFA three years (from now) at the end of my mandate. (Reporter saying: But why go?) I don't understand. (Reporter: But why leave?) That is not a good question. (Platini begins speaking in French) I've said all I want to say on that question." PHOTOGRAPHER NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "I think it's all due to thanks to the president, the president respects all the mechanisms / rules that are in place in UEFA. All the mechanisms are there, all the mechanisms are there for me, they existed before me and they'll continue to exist for the president of UEFA and for all the teams in UEFA. I think it's people that are important, people are the key, it's people who make the rules work. Not rules running people's behaviour." CAMERA OPERATORS FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "The refereeing of the lasts five years…it's not been perfect. From time to time there have been referees that make mistakes, but then that's not my fault, that's the fault of referees who aren't very good. The refereeing is getting better in Italy, because in Italy they have goal line technology and referees. This allows them to make better decisions on the pitch. The combination of goal line technology and refereeing will help them [the referees] make better decisions in Euro 2016." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "The French often ask about money, 'why can't we have as much money as the English (clubs/players)'. The Croatians ask 'why can't we have as much money as the French'. Money has always been important in sport. Iceland asks the same about Croatia. It's all how you look at it. English football is exceptional, they have excellent partners and sponsors and it does very well." JOURNALISTS IN NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF PLATINI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Monaco
- Country: Monaco
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA18HQ71IEBQUJ771FG6GGPOFPM
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Michel Platini declined to discuss his bid for the FIFA presidency on Friday (August 28), preferring instead to deliver a glowing assessment of his own performance in charge of European soccer's governing body UEFA.
In a self-congratulatory news conference, Platini and his secretary general Gianni Infantino proclaimed UEFA as pioneers in the fight against racism, leaders in tackling match-fixing and said they had brought financial sanity to European football.
Platini also praised his controversial decision to increase the number of teams at the European championship to 24 and declared UEFA's five-referee system, developed as an alternative to goal-line technology, a great success.
The Frenchman is seen as the front-runner in the race to replace outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who will relinquish his mandate at the helm of world soccer's governing body at a Feb. 26 election in Zurich.
Platini, who has been UEFA president since 2007, has not yet talked about his plans for the FIFA presidency and again frustrated reporters who expected to discuss them for the first time on Friday.
"In any case, my destiny is clear in UEFA. Either I leave UEFA in four months, because as you know I am candidate (for FIFA presidency), on the 26th of October, or I leave UEFA three years (from now) at the end of my mandate."
Instead, Platini and Infantino went through a re-run of what they considered some of UEFA's most impressive achievements.
"I think it's all due to thanks to the president, the president respects all the mechanisms / rules that are in place in UEFA. All the mechanisms are there, all the mechanisms are there for me, they existed before me and they'll continue to exist for the president of UEFA and for all the teams in UEFA. I think it's people that are important, people are the key, it's people who make the rules work. Not rules running people's behaviour."
Platini, who has publicly opposed the use of goal-line technology, then talked up one of his flagship moves at UEFA --the introduction of additional assistants on each goal-line to help the referee.
The system has failed to prevent mistakes in the Champions League and Serie A, where it is used, and many observers have wondered whether the extra officials make a significant contribution, but Platini had an answer for that.
"The refereeing of the lasts five years…it's not been perfect. From time to time there have been referees that make mistakes, but then that's not my fault, that's the fault of referees who aren't very good. The refereeing is getting better in Italy, because in Italy they have goal line technology and referees. This allows them to make better decisions on the pitch. The combination of goal line technology and refereeing will help them [the referees] make better decisions in Euro 2016," he said.
A suggestion there was a worrying disparity between Europe's richest clubs, particularly those in the English Premier League, and the rest of the continent was given short shrift.
"The French often ask about money, 'why can't we have as much money as the English (clubs/players)'. The Croatians ask 'why can't we have as much money as the French'. Money has always been important in sport. Iceland asks the same about Croatia. It's all how you look at it. English football is exceptional, they have excellent partners and sponsors and it does very well." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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