Platini 'determined' to stand for Fifa presidency despite being target of 'unfounded attacks'

Uefa chief Michel Platini has dismissed suggestions that he did anything wrong in accepting a 1.8-million-euro payment from Fifa. In an exclusive interview with a French news wire published on Wednesday, Platini said he had “no doubt” about his integrity and would continue in his pursuit of world football’s top job in order to institute “governance reforms”. Swiss prosecutors have accused Fifa president Sepp Blatter of making a “disloyal payment” to Platini in 2011.

Uefa president Michel Platini congratulates Sepp Blatter on his re-election at Fifa congress in Zurich, 29 May 2015 Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann

During an interview with AFP, Platini explained how he was employed full-time as Sepp Blatter’s special adviser between 1998 and 2002.

Platini said he was not paid the full sum for the work carried out. Blatter had told him that it was not possible to pay him his entire salary because of the world football governing body’s financial position at that time.

Platini did not doubt that the outstanding money would be paid, he said, and requested that the balance be paid in 2011, nine years after his role as adviser ended.

The former French international player said he paid all tax due on the money and dismissed suggestions that there was anything inappropriate about him having received the money the same year that Blatter was re-elected as Fifa president for the fourth time.

“The fact that this payment was made a few months before the Fifa presidential elections is irrelevant since I never had any plans of becoming a candidate,” he told AFP.

Asked about his state of mind, Platini said he is “calm and totally serene” because he has no reason to be worried.

He was critical of what he described as “unfounded attacks” and “speculation in some media” surrounding his bid for the Fifa presidency. “I have done nothing wrong,” he added.

Talking about his determination to stand for the Fifa top job, Platini said he would “like to put football at the heart of Fifa once again” and make sure that the organisation continues “to develop this beautiful sport around the planet”.