Platini, a former France global regarded as one of the finest players of his generation, was one of the sport’s most powerful figures until he was engulfed by the soccer scandal which has plagued the sport’s world governing body Federation Internationale de Football Association.
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The public declarations of support continued to pour in until he had well over the 50% needed to win the election, although the 48-year-old was cagey as to how it all started.
Yet the three-time European Footballer of the Year is now being allowed to breach the terms of his ban by the Federation Internationale de Football Association ethics committee – the same body which served Platini with an eight-year ban in December, later cut to six by a Federation Internationale de Football Association appeals committee and reduced again by the CAS. “The one that meets football associations and presents them his programme to get their support or the one that invents stories to compromise the elections and desperately get at least some support”, Ceferin told Slovenian state media.
The football associations of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with which he shares many ideas on reforming European football, urged him to run, he said.
In the new format, clubs from England, Spain and Germany will no longer have fourth place play offs, while Italian clubs will now have four teams compared to the two now. This a great joy but also a great responsibility. It means a lot to me.
Aleksander Ceferin, a little-known Slovenian soccer official, was elected as the head of European soccer’s governing body UEFA on Wednesday and promised to stand up to the big clubs.
Van Praag, 68, put a courageous face on his crushing defeat. I am [also] sure we have to establish a compliance committee. “I am sure they do not want to leave UEFA and UEFA’s competitions”.
Ceferin said his top priority was to address Champions League reforms agreed by UEFA’s executive committee last month. I think we did a great job …
“Either I want it or not, I will have to deal with it and that will be the first thing to deal with”.
Disgraced football leader Michel Platini said Wednesday in a farewell speech to Uefa that he felt no guilt over a $2 million payment from Fifa that has seen him suspended for four years.
Platini and former world football governing body FIFA President Joseph Blatter were both handed eight-year suspensions last December for their role in a major corruption scandal.
“Be assured that I have a clear conscience, that I’m convinced I did not make the slightest mistake and that I’m continuing the legal battle”, Platini told the UEFA members.
“Dear friends, thank you for your fantastic support”, Ceferin said after the result was announced.
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So also, for millions across the world, football is also a flame.
