Platini: FA must back up vote-buying claims
Reuters - Friday 13 May 2011, 17:45
KAUNAS - UEFA's Michel Platini
has backed FIFA in calling for the English FA to give evidence
to back up ex-chairman David Triesman's allegations that four
executive committee members sought favours in return for votes.
Triesman told a British parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday
that world football governing body FIFA executive committee
members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi
Makudi had sought incentives to vote for England's unsuccessful
bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
"FIFA asked for proof from the English FA and Lord Triesman
... I hope the English will provide proof, it's easy to say
allegations without proof," UEFA president Platini, who is also
a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, told journalists during
a visit to the Baltic state's football academy on Friday.
Turning his attention to the discrimination row that has
shaken French football, Platini said the "excessive words" of
French football federation (FFF) technical director Francois
Blaquart had spawned the outcry.
Members of the federation discussed the idea of enforcing
limits on black and Arab players in youth academies at a meeting
in November.
The meeting was originally meant to discuss the large number
of players in France with dual nationality who eventually choose
to play for their country of origin.
A twin inquiry by the Sports Ministry and the FFF found no
evidence that racial discrimination, which is illegal in France,
had been enforced but Blaquart, who had been suspended pending
the findings, could now face further action including dismissal.
"I don't think that it's wrong and it's normal that the
national technical director made the debate on what will be good
for French football but his words were excessive and that's why
we speak about discrimination," said Platini, president of
European football's ruling body.
"The debate for me is logical though he spoke very, very
excessively."