By Andrew Warshaw
May 3 – UEFA finally acknowledged today it is preparing for life after Michel Platini by tabling an emergency meeting of its executive committee later this month with a view to choosing an election date in case its French president loses his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the outcome of which will be announced within a week.
Platini is hoping to return in time for next month’s European Championship in his homeland by clearing his name over alleged ethics breaches relating to the acceptance of that infamous SFr2 million ‘disloyal payment’ from FIFA, authorised Sepp Blatter when Platini was a consultant to the former FIFA president.
But if his last-ditch plea protesting his innocence fails, UEFA will have to choose a successor, most likely expected to be sometime in September, and have scheduled a special meeting on the sidelines of the Europa League final in Basel on May 18 to agree on a way forward.
UEFA’s stand-in president Angel Villar llona, a senior vice-president of FIFA who was among the witnesses heard by CAS last week in Platini’s defence, made it clear where his loyalties lay when he addressed UEFA’s 54-nation congress in Budapest.
“Our sport has suffered much in recent times. I’m thinking of our president, Mr Michel Platini, who has just made his appeal to CAS,” said Villar. “I very much hope that Michel will be back among us any day now but I would remind you that UEFA has a road map to follow, for the continued development of football at European level whatever CAS decides.”
That implied only one thing – preparing for UEFA’s future without Platini. Hence the meeting on May 18 by which time, said Villar, “in all probability we will have received the CAS decision” and will be able to “announce our next steps.”
Meanwhile Gianni Infantino, making his first appearance before his loyal European supporters since being elected FIFA president, appealed to them to donate more money to poor non-European countries.
Infantino was elected in February after a key pledge to give each member federation $5 million every four years from World Cup revenues and $40 million to the six confederations. But UEFA’s coffers are significantly further boosted by lucrative Champions League and European Championship revenues.
“I want to make a plea to you,” Infantino told delegates. “The funds have been increased to this famous $5 million over four years but for you in UEFA this is not a big amount compared to what you generate. If you in Europe don’t need all this money from FIFA, give it to other associations around the world. Invest it in projects around the world.”
“We can do this together and really create a difference for a FIFA of solidarity, of inclusion, and you in Europe can show how we can make a difference in the world.”
Earlier, in his address to a congress he used to manage himself as UEFA general secretary, Infantino was at pains to stress for umpteenth time that FIFA was entering a new era following the corruption-scarred years of his predecessor.
“This is a new era for FIFA, this is a new FIFA, a FIFA which stands for reforms and we are implementing the reforms; a FIFA which stands for good governance, transparency, integrity, honesty and for professionality,” Infantino said.
“This is a huge responsibility for me as FIFA president, but a responsibility in which I can succeed only by sharing with you – if we all work together and bring football back to the centre of the stage.”
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