UEFA defy FIFA and back Michel Platini

By Simon Evans

ZURICH (Reuters) – UEFA defied FIFA’s suspension of Michel Platini on Thursday when it said he would not be replaced as head of European football’s governing body and gave him its backing in the appeal process.

But Nyon-based UEFA, which represents the 54 European football associations, avoided a direct clash with FIFA by saying that Platini would not perform his official duties “for the time being”.

Earlier on Thursday, the Ethics Committee of world football body FIFA handed Platini a 90-day provisional ban from all football activities worldwide at the same time as giving an identical sanction to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

FIFA moved quickly to replace Blatter with interim president Issa Hayatou and announce that Blatter was “relieved of all duties”, but UEFA took a very different stance.

Under UEFA’s rules, if its president is not available to conduct his duties, the highest ranked vice-president of the organisation takes over but the European body declined to take that step.

“The UEFA Executive Committee saw no need, at this moment in time, to invoke Article 29(5) of the UEFA Statutes … this is because the UEFA Executive Committee is aware that the UEFA president will immediately take all necessary steps to appeal the decision (and) to clear his name,” a UEFA statement said.

“The UEFA Executive Committee expressed its full confidence in UEFA president, Michel Platini and stands fully behind him,” the statement said.

However UEFA later issued a second statement saying that Platini would not be carrying out his normal functions.

“Following today’s decision of the FIFA Ethics Committee, UEFA President Michel Platini is currently suspended and will therefore not perform his official duties for the time being,” said the statement.

“As such, he did not attend the meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee today and has cancelled several official trips.

“UEFA is fully aware of its responsibilities under the relevant provisions of the statutes,” they added.

Any blatant flaunting of the ban would risk further sanctions, a FIFA source told Reuters, noting that the UEFA executive committee could also find itself in ethics trouble if it were to help Platini break the ban.

Platini issued a separate personal statement referring to the “farcical nature of the events” and the “astonishingly vague allegations” against him.

“I want everyone to know my state of mind: more than a sense of injustice or a desire for revenge, I am driven by a profound feeling of staunch defiance. I am more determined than ever to defend myself before the relevant judicial bodies,” he said.

“I have received numerous messages of support today from UEFA’s member associations and the other confederations encouraging me to continue my work serving football’s interests. Nothing will make me give up on that commitment.”

UEFA said they will hold an executive committee meeting next Thursday in Nyon and all 54 member associations will also hold a meeting at the headquarters in the Swiss city.

(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alison Williams)