- Title: SOCCER-FIFA/PLATINI UEFA head Platini to announce FIFA presidency bid
- Date: 28th July 2015
- Summary: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (FILE - MAY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PLATINI IN NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (French) UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI SAYING: "Like many of you - and thanks to many of you - we have followed what has been going on in recent days. Sincerely, for me who likes FIFA, for me who has so much admiration for the history of FIFA, for me who has followed this for several years, I feel insulted. I feel disgusted and I'm sick of it. Enough is enough. (HE REPEATS IN ENGLISH) "Enough is enough" CAMERA SCREEN VIENNA, AUSTRIA (FILE - MARCH 24, 2015) (REUTERS) UEFA GENERAL SECRETARY GIANNI INFANTINO, PLATINI AND PRESS OFFICER PEDRO PINTO (SOUNDBITE) (English) UEFA PRESIDENT, MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "All the national associations of the world love FIFA. Because FIFA is the house of football. It was built in 1904 and you will find 1955 is UEFA, the European association of FIFA. And we all love FIFA, all. All the national associations here love FIFA. But they are not happy how they are running the FIFA and they express their disappointment. But we all love FIFA because FIFA is our house, the house of everybody, the governing body of the world." REPORTER ASKS: YOU LOVE THE ORGANISATION, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE IN IT? (SOUNDBITE) (English) UEFA PRESIDENT, MICHEL PLATINI, SAYING: "No, I never said that. I said that is fine for us one day to change." STARA PAZOVA, SERBIA (FILE - MAY 14, 2011) (REUTERS) PLATINI (RIGHT), SERBIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IVICA DACIC (CENTRE) AND BLATTER (LEFT) WALKING / PLATINI TRYING TO HEAD BALL BLATTER STANDING BLATTER, DACIC AND PLATINI WALKING BLATTER SHAKING HANDS AND STANDING WITH CHILDREN/BLATTER AND PLATINI SHAKING HANDS WITH CHILDREN BLATTER AND PLATINI TALKING TO CHILDREN CHILDREN WATCHING BLATTER AND PLATINI TALKING TO CHILDREN VARIOUS OF PLATINI PLANTING A TREE
- Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Austria
- Country: Austria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA61EI36W3CYLUVIROO6BAM5PB7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Michel Platini, the head of European soccer's governing body UEFA, is to announce in the next few days that he will stand for the presidency of FIFA, a source close to the former France international told Reuters on Tuesday (July 28).
The 60-year-old Platini, a former France and Juventus midfielder, has been UEFA president since 2007 and had been widely expected to throw his hat into the ring to succeed Sepp Blatter, who announced his plan to stand down two months ago.
Platini's impending announcement, expected before the end of the week, is likely to prompt other contenders to confirm their plans to stand.
South Korea's Chung Mong-joon, a former FIFA vice-president, is expected to announce his candidacy next month, while Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, beaten by Blatter in May's presidential vote, is also considering running in next February's election.
The vote will be held at a special 'elective congress' in Zurich on February 26.
Blatter, who has been president since 1998, was re-elected for a fifth term in May, but amidst the fall-out from the arrest of nine soccer officials, including some senior FIFA and ex-FIFA officials, he said he was "laying down" his mandate.
Platini has long been the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Blatter and last week his supporters indicated that he has picked up widespread support from leaders of the continental confederations.
A former protege of Blatter's, Platini turned into one of his biggest critics and he has said FIFA's corruption scandal "disgusted" him and gave him "stomach trouble".
But the Frenchman's own critics will focus on his support for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar.
Platini, part of the FIFA executive committee since 2002, voted for Qatar, despite FIFA's own technical report flagging up concerns about the searing heat in the Gulf state.
That may be a difficult line of attack for his two possible Asian rivals to take however, given that Qatar is part of the Asian Football Confederation.
Three outsiders have also said they intend to run - Liberian FA chairman Musa Bility, former Brazil international Zico and ex-France winger David Ginola.
Ginola had intended to stand in May's vote but was unable to get the five nominations from football federations needed to be a candidate -- a problem Zico has conceded he will probably encounter.
The deadline for candidates to formally present their nominations, with support, is Oct. 26 and they will also have to undergo integrity checks, led by Domenico Scala, head of the ad-hoc election committee. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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