Michel Platini announces he will run to replace Sepp Blatter as Fifa president

Michel Platini has announced he will run to replace Sepp Blatter as the Fifa president in next February’s election.

Platini, the Uefa president, held talks with football powerbrokers at the 2018 World Cup draw in St Petersburg last weekend and is now confident he has the support necessary to win.

“This was a very personal, carefully considered decision, one in which I weighed up the future of football alongside my own future. I was also guided by the esteem, support and encouragement that many of you have shown me,” Platini said in a statement, having written to all 209 member associations of Fifa to inform them of his intentions to stand.

“There are times in life when you have to take your destiny into your own hands. I am at one of those decisive moments, at a juncture in my life and in events that are shaping the future of Fifa.”
The election to succeed Blatter will take place on 26 February in Zurich. The 60-year-old Platini is the favourite to succeed the Swiss after gaining the backing of four of the six Fifa confederations, including the powerful Asia bloc. The English Football Association is expected to back him along with most, if not all, countries in Europe.

Platini has publicly stated he voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, and although the award of that tournament to the Gulf state has caused huge controversy, in Fifa terms his backing for Qatar is likely to be an advantage.

Blatter was re-elected in May, but within four days had announced he would quit after Fifa’s involvement in payments to officials was uncovered. All nominations for the election have to be submitted by 26 October.

• Prince Ali bin al-Hussein

However, former Fifa presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan has described Michel Platini’s decision to stand for the post in February’s election as “not good for Fifa”.

“Platini is not good for Fifa,” said Prince Ali, who also lost his place on Fifa’s executive committee in May, in a statement. “Football’s fans and players deserve better. Fifa is engulfed in scandal. We must stop doing business as usual. The practice of backroom, under-the-table deals must end.”

Prince Ali, who is yet to announce whether he intends to run again, said he would be consulting individual football federations in the coming week “about what is in the best interests of football”.

• Musa Bility

Liberia FA chairman Musa Bility has also announced plans to stand for the presidency of Fifa, saying it is Africa's time to lead world football.

"Africa is the largest voting bloc in Fifa and we must take the lead to bring football together," said the 48 year old Bility.

"We all agree that football is facing a difficult moment and it is in difficult moments that great leaders emerge."

Bility, who has led the Liberian FA since 2010, becomes only the second African to make a bid to become Fifa president.

Current Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Issa Hayatou lost to Sepp Blatter in the 2002 presidential elections.