UEFA supports Platini, calls for speedy investigations

European soccer governing body UEFA called for a rapid decision in the case of its suspended president Michel Platini on Thursday and said the FIFA presidential election should go ahead in February as planned.

Platini and FIFA president Sepp Blatter were given a 90-day ban by the FIFA Ethics Committee last week, pending a full investigation into both men’s activities, in the latest twist to the scandal which has engulfed FIFA and international soccer.

Platini is standing in the FIFA presidential election due to be held on February 26, although the ban could severely hamper his chances of passing an integrity test which is part of the electoral process.

“We are of the opinion that the Congress shall not be postponed because I think that we are dealing with responsible people who care about the future of the game,” UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said.

“FIFA needs a new president who is legitimately elected by all 209 associations and that should happen sooner rather than later

“Michel Platini is already a candidate for the FIFA presidency. He has submitted his candidacy so he is a candidate today,” Gianni said.

Infantino was asked whether the UEFA executive committee and the association members had discussed an alternative candidate to Platini if he was proven to be guilty admitting that the matter had been discussed but no decision had been made.

Gianni said they would wait for all of the confederations to speak at next week’s FIFA executive committee meeting in Zurich before channelling the way forward.

“I think whatever happens in the next few days and obviously it’s unlikely, I guess we’ll have a final decision on the merits by the 26th of October,” stated the General Secretary.

“What happens from now until the 26th of October is something that will be discussed by the UEFA representatives in the FIFA ExCo together with the other members of the other confederations as it has been done in the past.”

Infantino also said he found the number of rumours and amount of information leaked to the media “disappointing”.

The UEFA General Secretary said it was not fair on everyone involved in the situation and hoped FIFA’s ethics committee and appeals committee would come to a quick decision.

“There is a trust in the CAS as an independent body certainly and there is a hope that the FIFA bodies are as well independent and in any case that they take a quick, final decision on the merits,” Infantino said.

“What is really, really disappointing I think generally is all the leaks that are coming out. I know that you are happy when there are leaks coming out but it’s not fair, it’s not fair that you know before the person who is accused or suspended or whatever that he is accused or suspended of something.

“It’s just not fair, it’s just not what we call a fair process, what we call a fair trial. It’s just not right because it just pushes a condemnation without a decision and this is not correct.”