Platini withdraws bid for FIFA Presidency

Michel Platini will not be running for FIFA President

Michel Platini has announced that he will not be running for the FIFA Presidency and will instead concentrate on clearing his name. Platini and Sepp Blatter were suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee over a 2 million swiss francs payment made to Platini in 2011 for jobs he carried out between 1999 and 2002.

“I will not present myself for the presidency of FIFA. I am withdrawing my candidature. I no longer have the time nor the means to go to the voters, to meet people, to fight against the other candidates.

“I am withdrawing. I am dedicating myself to my defence,” Platini added.

He added that he believed that the timing of the ban was to prevent him from running for the position and questioned why the ethics committee had not taken action since 2011 when he was paid.

“What was the FIFA ethics committee doing between 2011 when I was paid and 2015? Was it sleeping? Suddenly it wakes up,” he said.

“Ah yes, it wakes up in a FIFA election year when I am a candidate. It’s amazing!”