NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31- UEFA President, Michel Platini, believes world governing body, Fifa is embroiled in many wrangles since it is being run under a political system.
In the second part of an interview with CNN’s Pedro Pinto, Platini also skirted the issue whether he would run for the Fifa presidency once the incumbent, Sepp Blatter steps down as expected after winning his stated final term on Wednesday.
Below are the excerts from the interview.
Pedro: You are an insider… what is FIFA’s biggest problem, you think? What is their biggest challenge, why there are so many allegations…
Platini: I think that FIFA is like the IOC was some years ago, I think we are at the end of a system based on politics. The future of this big international sports company owned by people who are specialists, not political people like you have Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch in the IOC, Mr. Havelange, Mr. Blatter who comes from politics, and you have many companies like that in sport. I think it will finish in the next few years and we will have people from the sport – and I think FIFA has to come back to football.
Pedro: So, I have to ask the question. You are a football man. Are you going to take over at FIFA? Would you like to?
Platini: I’m elected just for UEFA for four years.
Pedro: But if there is an issue with the election for example, there has been some talk that there can be new candidates… that they can start from scratch…
Platini: But for the moment, you have to say that at the moment, you need three-quarters of the Football Associations to say they don’t want to vote. We have to wait to see if they don’t want to vote, if they don’t to vote there will not be elections. For the moment I am elected for UEFA. Point. I don’t know what will happen, what will happen at congress, what will happen at the election.
Pedro: Has this been a big blow for the image of football?
Platini: Yes.
Pedro: Do you understand that football fans are disappointed?
Platini: Which fans?
Pedro: Football fans.
Platini: In Middle East they are very happy; in Russia they are very happy.
Pedro: No but with everything happening at FIFA? Regarding the vote…
Platini: But that is another matter, that is different evidence, I don’t know…
Pedro: No but all that is said – when all is said and done – what does it do for the image of football – everything that has been said, is it a big blow for football?
Platini: I think it is the image of FIFA and I think FIFA needs to be strong, has to be powerful because it is a company for football and we have to come back to the football. That is my point of view and we have to do everything to come back to the values of football. For the fans, yeah it is political and we have to come back to be the company for football.
Pedro Pinto is a sports anchor for CNN International.
