Johansson optimistic he will win election

Swede Lennart Johansson, who is 77, is confident that he will be re-elected this week in the election against French rival candidate Michel Platini.

The election will be held at UEFA's Congress in Dusseldorf, Germany, and the race is considered too close to call.

Johansson told reporters he was confident of getting enough votes from UEFA's 52 member associations to secure him a final four-year term of office.

"This is a secret vote and that means people can say one thing and do something else, which makes the situation more difficult to predict," said Johansson. "But from the countries I have known for 40 years, and the new presidents with whom I have good relations, if they vote as they tell me they will vote -- which I have reason to believe they will -- then I will win."

Johansson was elected president at UEFA's Congress in Malta in 1990 when he defeated Swiss Freddy Rumo by a 20-15 vote. He said the major difference between himself and the 51-year-old Platini was experience.

"Michel Platini was an excellent player and he is a nice man but for me it is not enough that he was on the local organising committee for the (1998) World Cup," said Johansson. " I think he should have started from the ground up.

"He has gained no experience in administration and it takes experience to administer and lead 52 nations with different religions, languages and views. It is not enough to go around and show yourself. It's hard work."

There is very little difference in the two candidates views although much has been made of Platini's proposal to reduce by one the Champions League places, which are currently awarded to Europe's four top-ranking nations.

Johansson said he is against any changes in the competition's format.

"I'm not going to make any changes to a competition which is praised by the players, the clubs and the small nations," Johansson insisted.

"I see no reason why we should change such a success story that is broadcast all over the world, and that many other sports try to copy."

Despite his confidence about the election, Johansson said he hoped that FIFA president Sepp Blatter would not come out in favour of Platini.

Blatter and Platini are both due to attend a meeting of Eastern European associations in Moscow this weekend and even though Blatter praised Platini while in Paris last week, he has not publically endorsed either candidate.

"I think it's a must that the president of FIFA stays neutral so we can show that in football we know how to handle these things in a non-political way," Johansson said.

"It's hard for me to say if it would harm my campaign, but I'm talking about the principle that the president of FIFA should stay out of the election. That would solve the problem."

Johansson insists that he would serve a full four-year term if re-elected, rejecting the suggestion that he could quietly step down once Platini was defeated.

"There have been rumours here and there that I am doing this for tactical reasons. Not at all. If re-elected for four years then I would go the full four years because it would be very unfair to use tricks just to hinder somebody else."

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