By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – UEFA’s top brass have given Michel Platini as much time as possible to try and clear his name to run for FIFA president – but could have a new chief in place themselves at the start of May if he is banned from the game.
On the day the UEFA president lost his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his provisional 90-day suspension, his executive committee took the strategic decision to scrap their March Congress in Budapest and reschedule it for May 3.
That would give potential candidates to succeed Platini the necessary time to campaign should the Frenchman, as expected, be further banned by FIFA’s ethics committee before Christmas and then fail to win yet another appeal to get back in the FIFA presidential race.
At a news conference following UEFA’s final exco meeting of the year and before the draw for the 2016 European Championships tomorrow, general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) refused to even entertain the idea that Platini could lose his job and have to be replaced.
Yet that was clearly behind the move to switch the date of their Congress, especially as UEFA ideally need to have a new president in place by the time the Euro 2016 Championships start the following month.
Infantino confirmed that items which would have been discussed in March – mainly financial matters and approval of annual reports – will instead be on the table at a so-called extraordinary congress on February 25, the day before Sepp Blatter is replaced at the head of FIFA. By that time, UEFA will know for definite whether or not Platini can stand. If he can’t, Infantino, currently in the race as Europe’s stand-in, looks set to do so instead.
“The executive committee supports Michel’s right to a fair process,” said Infantino who, as expected, declined to discuss his own FIFA candidacy. “Obviously it’s a difficult situation. It’s complicated for Michel and for the institution. What the agenda of the May 3 Congress will be, we will have to see when the time comes.
“UEFA has showed in the past we can take quick decisions whenever there is a need and face difficult situations like this one. It’s much too soon at this point to say what the agenda might be. It will be set a month beforehand.”
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