Disgraced UEFA President Michel Platini announced he is withdrawing from the race for FIFA President. “The timing is not good.”
That is something of an understatement, as Platini was recently handed an eight-year ban from any football activity by the FIFA ethics committee, so would’ve been ineligible anyway.
“I'm withdrawing from the race for FIFA presidency,” Platini told the Associated Press.
Disgraced UEFA President Michel Platini announced he is withdrawing from the race for FIFA President. “The timing is not good.”
That is something of an understatement, as Platini was recently handed an eight-year ban from any football activity by the FIFA ethics committee, so would’ve been ineligible anyway.
“I'm withdrawing from the race for FIFA presidency,” Platini told the Associated Press.
“The timing is not good for me. I don't have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. I have not been given the chance to play the game. Bye bye FIFA, bye bye FIFA presidency.”
The election is on February 26 to succeed Sepp Blatter, who has also been banned for eight years and stepped down following an American investigation into criminal activity.
Platini was banned for receiving a £1.35m payment, which is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.
“I'm taking this philosophically, let's wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I'm trying to fight it.
“I can't have any regret in that story because things fell upon my head while I haven't done anything wrong. I'm struggling to understand what happened, unless there was a will somewhere to prevent me from bidding.
“Many national federations wanted me as President. I had 150 associations thinking that I'm the right person to solve FIFA's problems.
“It won't happen. But there is no age limitation, so maybe I'll come back in 20 years. Who knows?”