Someone at FIFA Tried To Kneecap Michel Platini Presidential Candidacy
By Ty Duffy
The U.S. DOJ is treating FIFA like a mafia organization. That description may not be so far off. UEFA President Michel Platini is the overwhelming favorite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president. Someone within FIFA wants to disrupt that inevitability.
German newspaper Welt am Sonntag and other outlets received a 1,400-word document entitled “Platini: Skeletons From the Closet.” The document originated from FIFA headquarters in Zurich. FIFA is “investigating,” which means we will probably find out the truth in a DOJ release a few years from now.
Platini has been a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 2002. He has been UEFA president since 2007. He was Sepp Blatter’s presumed successor, before falling out when Blatter decided to stand for the presidency again in 2015.
The purported “skeletons” allegedly concern Platini’s support for Qatar during the 2022 World Cup voting. Platini revealed his vote for Qatar, but has denied involvement in any corruption or wrongdoing. Conspiracy theorists have not taken that denial at face value.
Platini met secretly with Mohammed Bin Hammam before the vote. The Qatari, and former AFC president, has been banned for life from FIFA over bribery during the 2011 Presidential Election. Bin Hammam was a key figure in a 2014 London Sunday Times report alleging £3m in bribes landed the 2022 World Cup.
Rumors also have Platini being pressured by then French President Nikolas Sarkozy to promote the Qatar bid. Platini was present at a lunch 10 days before the vote. Platini’s son Laurent, coincidentally obtained a lucrative position with Qatari Sports Investments after the vote in 2011. Belgian FIFA ExCo member Michel D’Hooghe’s son Pieter coincidentally was hired by a private Qatari hospital in 2012.
Who has it out for the former French legend? Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, runner up to Sepp Blatter, has termed Platini’s potential election “not good for FIFA” but has not stated his intention to run. Sepp Blatter has not ruled out running again. Maybe Diego Maradona has a mole in Zurich?