Platini admits his image is damaged
UEFA president Michel Platini has admitted that his reputation and image have been harmed by his implication in the FIFA corruption scandal for the first time.
Platini wrote to all 54 European member associations yesterday in an attempt to explain a £1.35m payment from Sepp Blatter for four years of consultancy work on behalf of the FIFA president from 1998 to 2002.
But the Frenchman failed to clarify in the email why he only received the money nine years later — a mystery which threatens to derail Platini’s bid to succeed Blatter as head of FIFA.
Stewart Regan, chief executive of the Scottish FA, who like the FA have already announced their support for Platini’s FIFA candidacy, said: ‘It is an essential piece of information that still has to be provided.’
UEFA president Michel Platini’s attempt to clarify his involvement in the FIFA corruption scandal yesterday succeeded only in dragging him further into the unholy mess.
Platini wrote to all of UEFA’s 54 member associations in an effort to explain that the extraordinary £1.35million consultancy payment he received from FIFA president Sepp Blatter was a legitimate fee for four years’ work.
But Platini did not answer the crucial question about that payment which threatens to derail his bid to succeed Blatter in February’s election: why was it made in 2011, just three months before Blatter was elected unopposed for a fourth term and nine years after Platini had finished his full-time FIFA role for which he had already received ‘initial payments’?
The Scottish FA, who have already backed Platini for the FIFA presidency, are to ask the UEFA chief for more information about that near decade-long gap between payments.
The FA, who have also declared their backing for Platini for the FIFA crown, made no comment yesterday but are expected to discuss the matter in full at tomorrow’s board meeting.
Meanwhile, Blatter, who is facing criminal proceedings from the Swiss attorney general’s office for that ‘disloyal payment’ — a case for which Platini remains a witness — told FIFA staff yesterday that he had done nothing ‘illegal and improper’ and would remain at the helm of world’s football’s wholly discredited ruling body.
Platini wrote: ‘I am aware there is speculation about the facts that concern me personally. For reasons of transparency I would like to inform you of the following important aspects. From 1998 to 2002, I was employed by FIFA to work on a wide range of matters relating to football. It was a full-time job and my functions were known by all.
‘The remuneration was agreed at the time and after initial payments were made, the final outstanding amount of 2million Swiss francs (£1.35m) was paid in February 2011.
‘This income has been fully declared by me to the authorities in accordance with Swiss law.’
Platini said that he has also written to the FIFA ethics committee to offer any additional information needed to ‘clear this matter up’.
He concluded: ‘I am aware that these events may harm my image and my reputation and the image of UEFA. For these reasons, I wish to use all my energies to ensure that any issues or misunderstandings can be resolved as soon as possible.’
Blatter, who is also under criminal investigation for selling World Cup TV rights in 2005 to then FIFA vicepresident Jack Warner for a knockdown price, surprisingly voiced his support for Platini, given the acrimony between them.
Blatter’s lawyer Richard Cullen said: ‘President Blatter shared with the Swiss authorities the fact that Mr Platini had a valuable employment relationship with FIFA, serving as an adviser to the president.
‘The payments were valid compensation and nothing more and were properly accounted for within FIFA, including the withholding of social security contributions.’