News Alerts
Headlines
Platini takes shot at Johansson in UEFA top spot bid
FIFA & UEFA - 11 January, 2007
Adjust font size:
Michel Platini, in his bid for UEFA's top spot, has blasted incumbent Lennart Johansson for trying to win re-election.
Once it was clear that German legend Franz Beckenbauer would not be a candidate, Johansson, at age 77, announced he would seek re-election at the January 26 vote in Dusseldorf, involving all 52 national football associations.
Aside from being piqued that Johansson had branded him a revolutionary, Platini felt that, once Beckenbauer decided not to stand for election, Johansson was not ready to turn over the presidency.
"I just don't understand why he has no confidence in me," Platini said. "He told everyone that he was standing down, then he started looking around to find someone to beat me and then he decided to stand again because he couldn't find anyone.
"Everything was done to clear the way for Franz Beckenbauer. They scheduled the congress in Dusseldorf for him. In some ways he was taken as a hostage to the election process.
"But I just don't understand why he (Johansson) decided to stand again. It's very courageous of him, but the people that encouraged him to do so are not so courageous."
Once it was clear that German legend Franz Beckenbauer would not be a candidate, Johansson, at age 77, announced he would seek re-election at the January 26 vote in Dusseldorf, involving all 52 national football associations.
Aside from being piqued that Johansson had branded him a revolutionary, Platini felt that, once Beckenbauer decided not to stand for election, Johansson was not ready to turn over the presidency.
"I just don't understand why he has no confidence in me," Platini said. "He told everyone that he was standing down, then he started looking around to find someone to beat me and then he decided to stand again because he couldn't find anyone.
"Everything was done to clear the way for Franz Beckenbauer. They scheduled the congress in Dusseldorf for him. In some ways he was taken as a hostage to the election process.
"But I just don't understand why he (Johansson) decided to stand again. It's very courageous of him, but the people that encouraged him to do so are not so courageous."
Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 -
All rights reserved.
© Copyright message
The copying, republication, redistribution or web posting (including by framing or similar means) of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of euFootball.BIZ
-
Finance
Television
Sponsorship
Marketing
Technology
Competitions
Clubs
Stadia-Facilities
Legal
Administration
Events