FIFA Presidency: Only I can defeat Blatter, says Platini

Platini said he has not decided to contest for the FIFA presidency.

The President of the European football governing body, UEFA, Michel Platini, on Thursday said he was the only person capable of beating Sepp Blatter in an election battle for the FIFA presidency.

The 58-year-old however told Reuters he was yet to decide whether or not to stand for world football’s top job next year.

“There is only one person who can beat Blatter,’’ he said at a briefing, following the completion of the UEFA Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Asked who that was, he said: “Me.’’

Platini has been president of European football’s governing body UEFA since 2007.

Asked if he had enough support outside of Europe, he replied: “Yes I have many people who support me around the world.

“But I have not decided yet to run. I am happy being UEFA president, and I still have to decide about FIFA.

“I will consult many people. But it will be my personal decision in the end.’’

Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, has dropped increasingly strong hints that he will stand for re-election for a fifth term.

In the meantime, he will not announce his intentions until FIFA’s annual congress in Sao Paulo just before the start of the World Cup.

So far, only Jerome Champagne, a former Blatter aide at FIFA, has announced his candidacy.

But Champagne also said when launching his bid that he did not think he could beat Blatter if the 78-year-old decided to run.

“I have a different opinion,” Platini said.

(Reuters/NAN)