Platini ‘scalp’ for Blatter claim
EX-UEFA president Michel Platini has criticised former Fifa chief Sepp Blatter, saying the Swiss who led soccer’s world body for 17 years was determined to make him “his last scalp”.
Platini and Blatter were banned from all football-related activities, initially for eight years, over a $2million (R26-million) payment Fifa made to Platini in 2011, with Blatter’s approval, for work 10 years earlier.
The Frenchman said the 81-yearold Blatter was the most selfish person he had ever known. “He thought he would grow old, finish then die and be buried in Fifa. It was his wish,” Platini told Le Monde newspaper.
“He always said that I would be his last scalp. I know he had a fixation on me, to the end. Don’t always believe what Blatter says. He’ll always tell you what you want to hear but he’s an exceptional political animal.”
The Frenchman, 61, told Le Monde the affair that led to his ban was “not over yet”. He was sanctioned by Fifa’s ethics committee after Blatter authorised the payment to Platini that amounted to “undue gifts” and violated Fifa’s code of ethics.
“I still don’t know what I’ve done wrong,” said Platini. Blatter has also always denied any wrongdoing.
The bans given to Platini and Blatter were cut to six years by Fifa’s appeals committee before the Court of Arbitration for Sport then reduced Platini’s suspension to four years. — Reuters
JOHANNA Konta became the first UK woman to reach a Miami Open final when she outlasted US veteran Venus Williams 6-4 7-5 in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The clock had ticked past midnight and most of the crowd had long since departed before Konta eventually put away the 36-year-old Williams after more than two hours of attrition on the Crandon Park hardcourt.
The 10th seed will play Caroline Wozniacki in today’s final after the Danish 12th seed won an even longer semifinal, 5-7 6-1 6-1 against second seed Karolina Pliskova to kick off the day’s action.
“Thanks to everyone who stayed. Good morning by the way,” Konta joked in a courtside interview at an almost empty stadium after the pair traded eight breaks of serve in a baseline slugfest.
“To be honest it was so incredibly close, so many back-and-forths in every point of every game. I feel very fortunate I was able to take advantage of a couple more opportunities than maybe her. It really could have gone either way.”
The final will be Konta’s second of the season after the world No 11 won the Sydney International in January, with the Briton meeting Wozniacki for a second time following her third round win over the Dane at this year’s Australian Open.
Konta predicted a marathon final against Wozniacki, who capitalised on her renowned endurance and made fewer unforced errors in wearing down Pliskova, despite frittering away three set points in the opener.
The result exacted a measure of revenge for Wozniacki, who was beaten by the big-serving Czech in the Doha final last month.
“Fitness is something I’m working really hard on every day. It’s a huge part of my game,” Wozniacki, who completed the 2014 New York Marathon in less than three-and-a-half hours, said in a courtside interview.
“It was definitely a mental grind. Having two or three set points in that first set and ending up losing it is kind of depressing but I got a good start to the second set and that got me fired up and I just kept playing.”
Wozniacki, a part-time south Florida resident, said she considered the Miami Open her local tournament.
“It’s extremely special,” she said of reaching her first Miami final.
“Having a place here and training here in the off-season, it’s a home court.”