Platini wants to create police force

Michael Platini, who was elected as UEFA president in January, wants to create an international police force that would handle such problems as hooliganism, corruption, betting scandals and to help ban known offenders from arenas.

At UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Platini said the international police force would only deal with sports-related violence.

"We live in a violent world today and, unfortunately, this violent world is transferred to within our preferred sport," Platini was quoted on UEFA's Web site.

"We have policing organisms for the Internet and music, for example, but not for sport, which carries great importance in the world."

Platini said he commended the decision by Italian authorities to suspend matches following the death of a policeman during rioting at a Serie A game in Sicily last month.

"It is time something was done," he added. "We cannot continue like this."

In the past two weeks, authorities in France, Germany, Spain and Serbia have also had to deal with violent incidents linked to football.

Platini said he wants to hear other opinions on the idea and would want the support of other sporting bodies, including FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In an interview with RTL French radio, Platini said he hoped the French football authorities would deal with fans that rioted at the St. Etienne-Olympique Lyon derby, on Saturday, when the match was stopped for 20 minutes.

"I hope the French League will take good disciplinary measures," Platini said.

"I was unpleasantly surprised by the atmosphere before the match, and I was unpleasantly surprised by what happened in the stadium at the interval."

Platini was referring to a banner set up by St. Etienne fans depicting Lyon players as animals with the slogan "Kill Them" written on it.

"This is not worthy of a great club like St. Etienne," said Platini, who spent part of his playing career there.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.