Thaindian News

London, May 28 (IANS) FIFA vice-president and former French footballer Michel Platini said he is not in fray for the presidency of the world football’s governing body.

Platini said he would remain head of UEFA, Europe’s governing body, for his full four-year term.

The Frenchman said the world body “has to be clean, be good and think of the values of football.”

The presidential election of FIFA, which has been marred by a corruption probe, could be held Wednesday if three-quarters of voters approve.

Sepp Blatter, the current FIFA president, is bidding for a fourth term in charge. He is being investigated by the organisation’s ethics committee over accusations, from presidential rival Mohamed Bin Hammam, that he failed to report the payment of alleged bribes.

Platini said there was “no possibility” of him entering the leadership contest, a news report in BBC said.

“If there is an election, then a new president will be elected for four years. If there is no election, then it will be complicated but I don’t know what will happen,” the report quoted Platini as saying.

Platini said corruption was a wider problem and not just a matter for football and FIFA.

“We know perhaps in the big assemblies there are not so clean people, like with journalists, football players, in music, politicians,” he said.

“Let’s go to the executive committee, the disciplinary committee, let the people have some evidence and take a decision after that,” said Platini, who was elected for a second term as UEFA president in March.