Zurich - Uefa defied Fifa's suspension of Michel Platini on Thursday when it said he would not be replaced as head of European soccer's governing body and gave him its backing in the appeal process.
The Ethics Committee of world soccer body Fifa handed Platini a 90 day provisional ban earlier on Thursday at the same time as giving an identical sanction to Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
Fifa moved quickly to replace Blatter with interim president Issa Hayatou and announce that Blatter was “relieved of all duties”, but Uefa took a very different stance.
Under Uefa's rules, if their president is not available to conduct his duties, the highest ranked vice-president of the organisation takes over but the European body declined to take that step.
“The Uefa Executive Committee saw no need, at this moment in time, to invoke Article 29(5) of the Uefa Statutes ... this is because the Uefa Executive Committee is aware that the Uefa president will immediately take all necessary steps to appeal the decision (and) to clear his name,” a Uefa statement said.
“The Uefa Executive Committee expressed its full confidence in Uefa president, Michel Platini and stands fully behind him,” the statement said.
It remains possible that Platini may observe the ban by withdrawing from duties without appointing an interim president in his place.
Any blatant flaunting of the ban would risk further sanctions, a Fifa source told Reuters, noting that the Uefa executive committee could also find itself in ethics trouble if it were to help Platini break the ban.
Platini issued a separate personal statement referring to the “farcical nature of the events” and the “astonishingly vague allegations” against him.
“I want everyone to know my state of mind: more than a sense of injustice or a desire for revenge, I am driven by a profound feeling of staunch defiance. I am more determined than ever to defend myself before the relevant judicial bodies,” he said.
“I have received numerous messages of support today from Uefa's member associations and the other confederations encouraging me to continue my work serving football's interests. Nothing will make me give up on that commitment.”
Reuters