By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – Claims that Michel Platini is already odds-on favourite to win the FIFA presidency on February 26 is being tested by some choice remarks from CONCACAF, purportedly one of four confederations behind him, and by Africa.
One of CONCACAF’s leading officials, Caribbean Football Union (CFU) chief Gordon Derrick, says suggesting his confederation is behind the UEFA president is way short of the mark.
“I know that no-one has spoken to us collectively, we haven’t had a collective meeting, there is no way anybody can have (promised) anything,” Derrick told Reuters.
The CFU has 25 of the 35 votes from CONCACAF and Derrick was sceptical about how much actual support had been declared for the Frenchman at this early stage.
“I think it is just politics, people are trying to create an atmosphere. If they can create an atmosphere, a perception, sometimes perception becomes reality and you run with that,” he said.
“No-one has spoken officially to any of us at CONCACAF, I’m not certain where that is coming from. We have had no official word from anyone on anything to be honest. I think it is a bit premature.
“I think it is a bit fast, a bit too early. I think everyone is waiting to see who the candidates are and what their programmes are.”
Not surprisingly, a raft of European federations have come out in support of Platini including England, Germany and Italy. South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon has declared his intention to challenge the Frenchman as have former Brazilian great Zico and Liberian FA president Musa Bility.
Bility, whose African confederation boasts 54 member associations, more than any other, and was firmly behind Sepp Blatter’s re-election in May, says it would a “travesty” if Platini takes over.
The little-known Bility would be considered very much an outsider but he doesn’t see it that way.
“How can you say that he [Platini] is the favourite?” Bility said in an interview with Omnisport. “I mean, if the favourite is a popular candidate, then you have to show me his popularity. I think that I am the favourite. I come from the most popular continent. I do represent the largest block in football where the underprivileged nations are.
“We need to bring the rest of the world into parity with Europe, where Mr Platini has been running football for the last eight years I always ask the question: What is the difference if someone wants Blatter to go, why do you want to replace him with Platini? What message are you sending?
“Do we just want to get rid of Blatter and so that’s it? If that’s it then Platini is the candidate. But if not, if we’re looking for an honest and a fair beginning, then we have to start fresh with people with new thinking.
“There are serious problems in FIFA but, like I said, you cannot excuse Mr Platini from those problems, where was he? He was in the boardroom for eight years. Did you hear from him? Did he say anything? He’s said Mr Blatter should resign, okay. Mr Blatter has resigned. Let’s start again new. It would be a travesty and it would be hypocrisy if Mr Blatter should be replaced by Mr Platini.”
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