By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
September 17 – UEFA president Michel Platini says it would be “heartbreaking” to leave the organisation and has put off any decision to run for the FIFA presidency until next year’s World Cup in Brazil at the earliest.
Addressing UEFA’s 54 member federations at the start of four days of key meetings in Dubrovnik, Platini ended months of speculation by revealing exactly when he would announce whether to stand for the top job in world football.
At a media briefing in Monaco last month, Platini, in charge of UEFA since 2007, revealed he would “say something” to member federations this week about his future intentions. Few expected him to come out so early and categorically reveal one way or the other whether he was seeking to become FIFA President in succession to Sepp Blatter.
So it was in Dubrovnik where Platini took the podium at start of UEFA’s so-called Top Executive Programme strategy meeting to announce he was not quite ready to make a final decision and needed more time.
“I have not yet decided what I will do in the future,” said Platini. “I want to have a few additional months to think and will make my decision during or after the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and not before.”
“I deeply love UEFA and it would be heartbreaking for me to choose another path. But at the same time, the question continually pops up and it is a legitimate one.
“This is the reason why it’s important for me to take my time to make sure I take the right decision. Furthermore these elections are in two years’ time and I think it would be rather egotistic to make it a topic for debate or discussion now when football faces far more important problems than myself.
“Let us concentrate on the key current matters affecting the game affecting football. We will have the occasion to think about my future in the coming months.”
Platini’s remarks would appear to be a deliberate strategy to buy himself more time to see whether Blatter himself stands for election for a fifth term. When re-elected two years ago, it was widely expected that Blatter, now 77, would step down in May, 2015, but he has subsequently hinted he may stand one last time.
Platini’s address came at the start of a key series of meetings with member federations and other powerbrokers – including leagues and clubs – culminating in UEFA’s two-day executive committee meeting.
Prospective candidates for the pan-Continental 2020 European Championships are expected to be announced, the deadline for applications having passed last week. But more importantly, UEFA is striving to reach a common position on the proposal to switch the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The issue will be formally debated Thursday morning at a meeting of all key stakeholders, with a news conference scheduled for Friday. Platini favours a switch to winter though in January and not November, which FIFA is understood to prefer. Europe’s major leagues fiercely oppose a switch to winter and UEFA want to come up with a firm proposal to take to next month’s all-important FIFA executive committee meeting where the principle of a winter tournament in Qatar will be voted on.
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