Soccer

Four of six confederations would back Michel Platini for president

Uefa president is overwhelming favourite to replace Sepp Blatter as head of Fifa

Michel Platini could announce as early as this week that he will stand for Fifa president after receiving backing from four out of the six confederations. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Michel Platini could announce as early as this week that he will stand for Fifa president after receiving backing from four out of the six confederations. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Mon Jul 20 2015 - 11:32

Four out of six continental soccer confederations would back Uefa president Michel Platini if he stands for Fifa president, a source close to European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Frenchman Platini, who was re-elected as Uefa president earlier this year, is likely to decide within the next 10 days or so whether to run, the source added.

Platini, who is still undecided whether to run, held meetings late into Sunday night at a luxury lakeside hotel in Zurich where he was repeatedly promised support, the source said.

Fifa's executive committee was meeting on Monday to discuss reform plans and set a date for a vote to replace outgoing president Sepp Blatter, amid charges against Fifa officials of corruption by the US Department of Justice and Swiss authorities.

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Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term at the congress in May but then announced on June 2nd that he would lay down his mandate. He has not been accused personally of any wrongdoing .

Platini's talks on Sunday night were with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, and as significantly with Kuwait's Fifa executive member Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait.

Both men are key to the Frenchman’s chances of success — Al Sabah is viewed as the most important powerbroker in the International Olympic Committee and together with Salman should be able to swing 46 countries behind him, enough to secure a majority.

Platini has long-held links with Kuwait — in 1988 at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait he came out of retirement to make a guest appearance for the Arabic country in an exhibition match against the USSR, playing 21 minutes.

Platini’s decision will rest on his personal feelings — he has in the past questioned whether he wants to give up his involvement with Uefa, and its influence over European football, in exchange for Fifa.

Platini would be the clear favourite for Fifa however, and were he to win then Germany's Wolfgang Niersbach would be a likely successor for the Uefa presidency.