By Andrew Warshaw
August 28 – Michel Platini’s eagerly awaited first press conference since announcing he is running for FIFA president turned into a giant anti-climax when he refused to answer any questions about his candidacy, much to the disappointment and annoyance of scores of journalists who had travelled to Monaco specifically to hear his blueprint for the future.
The UEFA president’s appearance in front of the media on the fringes of the Champions League draw has become a regular occurrence but this time took on extra expectation amid the race to succeed Sepp Blatter next February and the corruption crisis that has engulfed FIFA.
UEFA had pushed the press conference back until after the draws for both the Champions League and Europa League had been completed, supposedly so that once UEFA matters were out of the way Platini could switch to discussing his bid to replace Blatter.
But reporters, many of whom had flown to the principality for the sole purpose of hearing Platini give details of his campaign, were left frustrated when he declined to do so on the grounds the occasion was a UEFA affair.
Instead he apologised as he blocked any FIFA-related questions, understood to have been a deliberate move to prevent his critics accusing him of using the occasion for electoral purposes amid all the sensitivity surrounding the vote. UEFA has already complained about an alleged smear campaign against the Frenchman emanating from FIFA’s headquarters.
“I know why you all came …I’m sorry for not replying to your questions but we will have time,” Platini said. “This wasn’t the right time or place.”
“This is a UEFA event. It’s UEFA tournaments we have been talking about here in Monaco so it’s not the right time to talk about FIFA. I have been a candidate for the FIFA presidency since July 27 and the elections are in six months’ time so there is plenty of time to talk about that.”
The only news he revealed as such is that win or lose the FIFA presidency, this will be his last term as UEFA president, saying his destiny “is clear one way or the other”.
Asked if he would leave UEFA in 2019 if he fails to win the FIFA ballot on February 26, Platini said: “Yes. I’m stopping then. That means I may support a limit to the time in office as president.”
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino defended the decision to allow Greek side Olympiakos into the Champions League despite its owner facing match-fixing allegations as exposed in detail by this website.
Infantino said the decision had been made based on the current available evidence and had been backed up by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “If there is a football organisation which is the leader in the fight against match-fixing its UEFA,” said Infantino.
Platini also refuted suggestions UEFA was guilty of a conflict of interest by its deputy general secretary being the son of an Olympiakos vice-president.
“There are 400 members of staff at UEFA and they all support a football club. I support Juventus and you could have asked me the same question with the problems at Juventus,” he said. “People could accuse us of favouritism but we are always transparent and honest. If it was Juventus people would accuse me of favouritism.”
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