By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 29 – UEFA president Michel Platini says he will not allow Africa or Asia to take a World Cup place away from Europe as long as he is in charge of European football.
Currently Asian teams have four guaranteed World Cup berths, with a fifth available only via an intercontinental playoff, while Africa has five berths compared to the 13 Europe had at the World Cup in Brazil.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter favours both confederations having greater representation at the expense of Europe or south America but Platini fuelled his already prickly relationship with Blatter by saying he would fight tooth and nail to maintain Europe’s quota – and even increase it – putting him on a collision course with FIFA.
“I have no intention of losing one place, one seat at the World Cup,” said Platini on the day he announced he would not be running for FIFA president next year because he wanted to continue running the European confederation. “In fact, I have the intention to ask for one more, because we are world champion. We won the World Cup three times in a row.”
Platini said it was a fallacy to accuse Europe of being greedy since they had fewer places now than in the past.
“In France in 1998 we had 15 teams, now we have 13. The quality is with the European teams. I intend asking the UEFA executive committee they will support us having at least one more place.”
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