Platini to lead Europe's fightback against ex-ally Blatter

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Platini to lead Europe's fightback against ex-ally Blatter
ROB HARRIS, AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — In the buildup to the Champions League final, Lionel Messi and Andrea Pirlo could be overshadowed by a star of the showpiece 30 years earlier: Michel Platini.

As Barcelona and Juventus descend on Berlin to contest European soccer's annual extravaganza on Saturday, the UEFA president will be formulating the continent's fightback against Sepp Blatter's FIFA.

Platini, a European Cup winner with Juventus in 1985 who helped Blatter first get elected in 1998, has put UEFA on a direct collision course with FIFA in what he says is a mission to restore credibility to the sport.

Platini and UEFA led efforts to oust Blatter from power, supporting challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in Friday's election, but the 79-year-old Swiss official extended his 17-year grip on power. Blatter's victory came despite some of his close allies, including FIFA vice presidents, being arrested in Zurich ahead of the congress as part of an American investigation into soccer corruption.

Platini will now lead a UEFA meeting in Berlin on Friday to discuss their next move: begrudgingly put up with four more years of Blatter or seriously threaten a European exodus from FIFA.

English soccer leaders have been long-standing critics of Blatter and are hoping for action from Platini.

"It does require real leadership and Mr. Platini has now got to stand up," English FA chairman Greg Dyke told the BBC on Sunday. "He stood up and criticized Sepp Blatter. He's now got to lead the opposition."

A World Cup boycott does not appear to be a credible threat without the weight of the game's powers behind UEFA.

"If we could get 10 large countries to do the same thing then I think you could have a big impact," Dyke said.

German federation president Wolfgang Niersbach, a new member of FIFA's ruling executive committee, cautioned that "boycotts are always a bad weapon."

"I don't see that it helps us Europeans to boycott the (FIFA) executive committee," Niersbach told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

Blatter warned on Saturday of the main potential consequence of a UEFA boycott: players deserting Europe's wealthy leagues to ensure they could continue playing for national teams.

In a Swiss newspaper interviewed published on Sunday, Blatter pointed out: "Europe couldn't even get together its own candidate."

Dutch football federation president Michael van Praag and Portugal great Luis Figo withdrew their candidacies a week before the poll, leaving Prince Ali as the UEFA-backed challenger.

Blatter's daughter, Corinne, weighed in to defend her father's integrity on Sunday and questioned why Platini ducked out of contesting the presidential election.

"How can UEFA, who say they are the strongest confederation, not put up a candidate?" Corinne Blatter told the BBC. "If (Platini) was serious about it he should have (stood)."

Platini's plans were derailed, though, when Blatter reneged on a 2011 pledge to step aside at the end of his four-year term.

"If he had kept his promise and recommended that his protege Platini should be his successor, a clean transition would have been possible," Niersbach said. "We wanted change — we did not achieve that aim. Now we as Europe must watch that we keep to a clear line and of course we will continue to work closely together in UEFA on this.

"We must, for example, watch out that we do not lose power in the ExCo because the number of members from other continents is increased. We must now deal with the situation and consult again as UEFA before the Champions League final."

The soccer world will also be watching to see if any leading players — like Barcelona's Messi or Juventus' Pirlo — take a stand against Blatter. In the run-up to Blatter's re-election, the stars of the game stayed silent despite the FIFA corruption scandal leading the news agenda globally.

That frustrates David Bernstein, the former English FA chairman.

"We need action now," Bernstein said. "I'd like to hear football managers speaking out. I'd like to hear footballers speaking out. I'd like Lionel Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo coming out.

"I'd like to hear football clubs coming out and trying to influence their supporters."

In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron has been urged by the opposition Labour Party to convene an emergency summit on FIFA. Legislator Chris Bryant, who speaks on sports issues for Labour, said British teams should consider snubbing FIFA competitions.

The Serious Fraud Office in London also said it was assessing "material in its possession" after British banks Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank were named in U.S. indictments as among the financial institutions used to transfer cash as part of the alleged conspiracy.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-01

[Emster23]

Good for him. And good for USA for being policeman of the world for once. Blatter reminds me of Nixon regarding denials. And like character Deep Throat advised "Follow the money trail".

Imagine if Europe and South America said "Thanks, but no thanks. We'll form an alternative to FIFA". Without those groups, FIFA got no cash to splash. Problem solved.

[razer]

If Blatter isn't corrupt, he certainly is incompetent. He has been living in a 5-Star bubble for 20 years or longer all expenses paid by FIFA.

He doesn't seem to be aware of the long standing anger the greater public has over corruption in FIFA.

How is it that journalists can write editorials about FIFA corruption and hundreds of thousands of people hold demonstrations again and again and Blatter remains clueless?

Why is it that mass arrests of his top officials was the only thing that could get his attention?

[sjbrownderby]

A major member of UEFA is Russia which is hardly likely to back any boycott of the next world cup for obvious reasons. So, within UEFA there will be much internal strife in the very near future. If UEFA does withdraw from FIFA then Russia may be forced to go it alone or apply to join the AFC but it is doubtful whether they AFC would let them join, again for obvious reasons. Interesting times ahead for sure.

[Johnny S]

No doubt Blatter is in Deep but somebody hold their hand over him - He has been dirty for years for sure ...

btw IOC is same same as FIFA

[DDuval]

No doubt Blatter is in Deep but somebody hold their hand over him - He has been dirty for years for sure ...

btw IOC is same same as FIFA

I always remember the stunned silence of the Audience when Russia and Quater where awarded their world cups. What a farce lets hold a world cup in Quater where the locals probably dont even know what a football is used for...

[Orac]

No doubt Blatter is in Deep but somebody hold their hand over him - He has been dirty for years for sure ...

btw IOC is same same as FIFA

Blatter is also a member of IOC

[stevepompey]

With immediate effect:

- ban Blatter from UEFA and America football institutions;

- cancel ALL Europe tours to Asia;

- continue to hassle Blatter till he cracks;

- get the sponsors to pull out of FIFA

- all 73 institutions who voted against - pull out -- if Russia wants to stay - ban them from Champions and Europa leagues;

MAKE A STATEMENT AND GET THIS BASTARD OUT!!

[edit]

Platini was never going to stand against Blatter because he knew Blatter already had enough votes from Africa, Asia and South America in the bag and he would have no chance of winning.

Blatter out manouvered him getting him to support him previously under the promise he would stand a side.

Cannot see a boycott working so not sure what Platini can do. The organisation is rotton, need a new world body to govern football,

[dabhand]

Platini is hardly clean when it comes to issues connected with the WC voting process.

it is believed that he voted for Qatar to win the 2022 competition, primarily due to political pressures coming from the French government. However, that action was compounded by his son, a lawyer, subsequently joining up with the Qatar Sport Foundation. No doubt with a rather lucrative contract.

Also, there were allegations, obviously denied by Platini, that he received a Picasso painting in return for his support for Russia in the 2018 bidding.

This could get tasty

[Steely Dan]

Quite predictably the FIFA corruption allegations are being met in some quarters by the well tried Orwellian thought control device known as Islamophobia,

If ever there were a litmus test for this nonsensical word this is surely it.

http://www.thecommentator.com/article/5889/fifa_corruption_scandal_has_to_be_islamophobia

[Thongkorn]

Its not about Fifa or Football, America can investigate Corruption anywhere in the world, if the American Dollar has been used in the course of corruption.. Its in American Law,

Edited June 1, 2015 by Thongkorn

[Jingthing]

Humor break:

[bendejo]

I don't follow football, so I just heard this guy's name for the first time last week.

Sepp Blatter. Whenever I hear it it makes me think of some kind of disgusting digestive ailment.

But it's curious that it is the US Justice Dept. that went after them. Perhaps Fifa doesn't understand influence-peddling American style: K Street, what's that?

Edited June 1, 2015 by bendejo