By Andrew Warshaw
October 15 – European football’s full membership is meeting in emergency session at UEFA headquarters today to decide whether to drop support for their leader’s bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in February – and what to do about the immediate future of their own organisation.
Having reluctantly been forced into complying with ethics rules by agreeing to relieve Michel Platini of his duties, UEFA have taken the unprecedented step of calling together both its executive committee and 54 member nations for two separate sets of talks, each scheduled to last three hours, such is the crisis that has enveloped the confederation as a result of Platini’s 90-day ban.
Lawyers for the Frenchman were expected to provide a detailed clarification of the infamous SFr2 million payment Platini received from FIFA in 2011 and which has caused such consternation.
Platini faces the genuine prospect of a number of European countries turning their back on him as a result of the disclosure that no written contract has been provided to FIFA’s ethics committee – which has provisionally suspended both Platini and Sepp Blatter pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
On the eve of the meeting, the Dutch FA (KNVB), whose president Michael van Praag was a European-backed candidate against Blatter in May until pulling out just before the ballot, joined the Danes in stating publicly that it may reconsider its backing for Platini.
Bert Van Oostveen, director of professional football of the KNVB, told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “Platini must now deliver legal and convincing evidence that he is innocent. If there is no logical explanation for the payment, then I think the KNVB must reconsider its support. We need to be convinced.”
If the Dutch and others are not, van Praag could be a surprise candidate to replace Platini as Europe’s candidate. He would only have until the October 26 deadline to officially declare he has entered the race and present his five required nominations though that should not present too much of a problem given the fact that he already has a manifesto from last time, which would only need tweaking, and knows who his supporters are.
Van Oostveen hinted strongly that could be exactly what happens.
“I think he is a more than excellent candidate. When Van Praag fits into the picture, the KNVB will certainly think about it. First the questions around Platini should be clarified, but it will certainly be discussed in the corridors.”
Germany’s Wolfgang Niersbach is also being touted as a possible candidate for either the FIFA or UEFA presidencies should Platini received a lengthy ban. Alternatively, UEFA may decide to seek to have the February 26 election postponed in order to buy time.
Europe’s governing body also has to tackle the thorny issue of who to name, if anyone, to lead its administration while Platini is being investigated. Spanish football boss Angel Villar Llona is technically the most senior official behind Platini having only recently been promoted.
But Villar, a FIFA vice president and executive committee member since 1998, is close to Blatter and a staunch conservative, hardly therefore ideal to led UEFA even in the interim. So far, UEFA has not named anyone to run the organisation temporarily but they will have to sooner rather than later.
Villar is also reported to be under investigation himself by FIFA so UEFA have to decide whether they feel it is appropriate that he is fit to chair meetings and run the show, even temporarily. There are also the obvious risk factors for UEFA should Villar then become sanctioned himself.
Pressure on Villar to say what he knows has come from Miguel Calderon, president of Spain’s national sports council. Asked whether Villar should have been aware of FIFA corruption, Calderon said: “This is something he needs to explain himself, nobody can give an opinion in his name. I think it would be a good thing if he did so. In the past he has made statements supporting his fellow members of the [FIFA] executive committee, assuring that there was no doubt about their honour. Events have shown that his assessment was wrong and obviously he is the one who should explain this.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1735135514labto1735135514ofdlr1735135514owedi1735135514sni@w1735135514ahsra1735135514w.wer1735135514dna1735135514