Platini Pulls Out Of FIFA Presidency Race

Former UEFA president Michel Platini has said goodbye to FIFA, the FIFA presidency due to the eight year ban he was handed by FIFA’s ethics committee last month.

Former UEFA president Michel Platini

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Platini were banned for eight years last month for conflict of interest in a £1.35m payment deal that is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.

Platini’s bid to succeed Blatter as FIFA president had been put on hold and the deadline for the February 26 election is too short to overturn the eight-year ban and renders his candidacy impossible.

Speaking to reporters, 60 year old Platini suggested that he could be back for a shot at the presidency in 20 years as the position as no age limit.

Sky Sports quotes the three time Ballon D’or winner saying: “I’m withdrawing from the race for FIFA presidency. The timing is not good for me. I don’t have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. I have not been given the chance to play the game. Bye bye FIFA, bye bye FIFA presidency.

“I’ve spent more time in hearing rooms than on football pitches speaking about 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 or football news. I’m taking this philosophically, let’s wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I’m trying to fight it.

“I have nothing to reproach myself with. I think they are making me pay for being UEFA president, I think the Zurich administration does not wish someone from UEFA to head FIFA. Because we are beautiful, we are big, we are rich, and we are the strongest.”

Platini said he remains a strong supporter of Blatter, adding: “He is a great personality. He has done many beautiful things in football. He also did bad things, certainly. I’ve supported him, I worked with him. I sincerely wish him to be at FIFA’s congress [in February] to bid goodbye to FIFA.”