Platini Victory Is Also One For Blatter - 04/02/2007

The election of former French international Michel Platini by the narrow margin of 27 votes to 23 as Uefa president is as much a victory for Fifa president Sepp Blatter. Platin's rise on the political side of football was faciliated at every step by Blatter. The day before the election, he departed from protocol by reiterating his support for Platini in public. Officials at the leading European football associations regularly criticise the Fifa president, who has been subject to unproven allegations of financial mismanagement, about his supposed interference in the sport. Yet they voted for Blatter's man.

Of course, the alternative was not that attractive. At 77 Johansson was hardly a dynamic figure. In recent years he rarely showed up at Uefa's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, opting to live in his native Stockholm. Platini also no doubt won support from northern and east European countries because of his pledge to limit the leading European football nations to three Champions League places, thus giving the smaller fry more opportunities to progress in the competition.

Whether he can implement that pledge remains to be seen. His small majority undermines his authority and hence his chances of driving through changes. He has made it clear that he 'detests' the G-14 organisation of top clubs which suggests that there will be no truce between them and Uefa anytime soon. However, he cannot ignore pressure from larger clubs to restore two group stages to the Champions League competition. Uefa cannot be won as a personal fiefdom like Fifa where generous financial support for football in developing countries has secured the loyalty of their national representatives to Blatter.