UEFA president Michel Platini has confirmed he will announce his candidacy to be the next president of FIFA.
The BBC has confirmed that Platini – who has received solid support from four continental confederations – will be a potential candidate when polling starts next year.
Platini, 60, could confirm his intentions and declare himself part of the presidential election as early as Wednesday. Candidates have until October 26 to be nominated.
FIFA began searching for a new president after the current president, Switzerland’s Sepp Blatter, tendered his resignation due to allegations of corruption at FIFA, as reported by Inquisitr.
Blatter, 79, was urged to step down following the corruption crisis, and despite being re-elected, he bowed to the pressure on June 2. He will step down when a replacement is elected at the extraordinary congress, which takes place in Zurich on February 26.
Despite a number of popular candidates, Platini is the favourite to replace him. He has the support and backing of his own European confederation and has also gained support from South America (CONMEBOL), Asia (AFC), and North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
If every association within these confederations voted for Platini, he would gain 144 votes, which is enough for him to be elected as Blatter’s successor. However, some of the football associations may back other candidates or abstain altogether.
Platini, a former France and Juventus midfielder, won three Ballon d’Or titles in the 1980’s as well as the European Cup, Cup Winner’s Cup and Super Cup with Juventus. He also played for Nancy and Saint-Etienne, won league titles in France and Italy, and earned a legendary reputation for scoring free-kicks. He scored 312 goals in 580 appearances at club level.
At the international level, he made 72 appearances for France, scoring 41 goals. Platini helped France to European Championship glory in 1984 and guided them to third place in the 1986 World Cup.
Platini is the current president of UEFA. He was elected for a third term in March, where he stood unopposed.
UEFA currently oversees European football, which includes the UEFA Champions League. The Champions League has become one of the most popular competitions in sport, with British broadcaster BT Sport outbidding other broadcasters, such as ITV and Sky, to pay £900m for exclusive live rights to European football’s top club competition in 2015-16.
Extending the European Championship and making it more viable to the masses, including a larger group of participating teams and staging games in 13 cities in various countries, is important to Michel Platini and indicate the progress made under his leadership.
[Images: theguardian.com and Taringa.net]
