Platini’s UEFA election causes concern

MICHEL PLATINI’S election as the new president of UEFA has naturally caused some surprise, not to say apprehension, around Europe.

It’s not only Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson who are opposed to Platini’s idea of changing the balance of the Champions League to favour smaller countries by the ending the right of the “big four” — England, Spain, Italy and Germany — to four places.

There’s also the concern that Platini’s candidacy was energetically backed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Blatter’s nine years in charge of FIFA have been marred by numerous allegations of corruption and mismanagement — and some of his proposals, such as holding the World Cup every two years, have been seen as simply a move to increase FIFA’s power and revenues, at the expense of UEFA and the leading clubs.

Platini is “Blatter’s man”, the argument goes, and his election could be first step in a schism within the game, with the G-14 clubs breaking away from UEFA to form their own elite European league.

However, reactions in the rest of Europe have been more measured.

For a start, although Blatter backed Platini, this does not mean the Frenchman is simply “Blatter’s poodle”. His reputation as one of the greatest players of all time, and his close connections with leading club directors and national officials, mean he is unlikely to act for Fifa against the interests of European football.

Moreover, Blatter is now almost 71, and likely to be replaced before long, the leading candidate being Franz Beckenbauer, newly elected to the FIFA executive.

The likelihood of a breakaway by G-14 (which despite its name now has 18 member clubs) also seems less likely, as a result of the UEFA reforms which mean that representatives of leading clubs, such as Barcelona, Chelsea and Milan, are now members of UEFA’s new Strategy Board.

Under UEFA’s constitution the Strategy Board is, formally, a consultative body to the executive.

But as Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport points out “there is a gentlemen’s agreement that if the board makes a proposal, the executive will approve it.”

Any of Platini’s ideas for change will thus need the approval of league and club representatives — including the Champions League changes, which he hopes can be introduced in time for the 2009 competition.

In fact these proposals are less drastic than they seem. England, Italy, Spain and Germany would be entitled to three clubs rather than four. But these three clubs would qualify automatically for the group stage, whereas currently two of the four qualifiers have to go through a preliminary play-off.

Platini also envisages an enlarged UEFA executive a little like the United Nations, with a permanent “security council” made up of six countries — Spain, Italy, England, Germany, France and Russia — with another 10 members elected by geographical zone.

The European Championship finals, he believes, should also be expanded to 24 teams, providing a valid qualifying tournament can be devised. This doesn’t suggest that the Blatter idea of a biennial World Cup has much of a chance — and in any case, would the South Americans and the Africans want to abandon the Copa America and the African Cup of Nations?

In short, Platini’s election is likely to see what the Gazzetta describes as a “velvet revolution” rather than an upheaval, and the Italians also foresee less of a role for G-14 in future, although the “club v country” argument is almost certain to lead to further tension. Platini sees international matches as more important than club commitments and favours the suspension of players who do not turn out for their countries.

The French are, not surprisingly, jubilant at Platini’s success. The French football federation provided not only moral, but practical, support for his campaign, including the services of four support staff and a back-up team that included senior advisers.

Most Spanish commentators have also been enthusiastic, welcoming a younger man with new ideas, and regretting the fact that the Spanish football federation, along with the Italians and the Germans, voted for the outgoing president, Lennart Johansson.

The English FA apparently voted for Platini.

Angel Maria Villar, the Spanish member of UEFA’s executive, was nevertheless re-elected by a huge majority — which suggests that the member countries are keen on preserving a balance of power.

Meanwhile, away from the politics, Inter have continued their relentless march towards the league title — some bookies are already paying out — and should they win next weekend against second-placed Roma, the title race will surely be over.

In France, Lyon have shown that they are human after all, having dropped five points in their last two home games.

Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid continue to stumble, with their latest defeat coming at Villareal. Six league defeats are not what the fans expected from Don Fabio and there continues to be speculation about his future.

Capello received a vote of confidence yesterday from club captain Raul, which these days is definitely worth more than a vote of confidence from club president Ramon Calderon. A local judge will shortly rule on whether Calderon’s narrow election victory last year was valid — postal votes were discounted — and it is quite possible that he will be forced to stand for election again.

If so, his campaign manager will be facing an uphill struggle. In a recent speech to university students, Calderon rounded on the fans in the Bernabeu: “It’s a stadium where people go as if they were going to the theatre. The people don’t support the team, not like in Italy and England.”