The Football Association’s handling of its position around Michel Platini’s bid to become FIFA president has been “massively disappointing”, according to Conservative MP Damian Collins.
– #360business: Ramon Vega may apply for presidency
– VIDEO: Blatter – Platini payment was ‘gentleman’s agreement’
– #360debate: Is Ronaldo Madrid’s best player ever?
The FA came out in favour of Platini’s candidacy in July but was finally forced to suspend its support on Friday over a £1.35million payment the Frenchman received from FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2011. Both UEFA president Platini and Blatter have been handed provisional 90-day suspensions while the payment is investigated.
FIFA’s executive committee is holding an emergency meeting in Zurich on Tuesday, where the main topic on the agenda is set to be a discussion over whether to delay the presidential election, which is currently due to take place on February 26.
Collins, who sits on the government’s Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, believes Platini will find it “impossible” to clear his name and has also warned the FA against backing Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
Platini claims the payment relates to a period between January 1999 and June 2002, when he worked as a consultant for Blatter, but no written contract for the sum has so far been provided. Blatter and Platini deny any wrongdoing.
“The FA have been massively disappointing all the way through,” said Collins.
“It was wrong for them to throw their weight behind Platini even before all the candidates had been nominated.
“They should have suspended their support for him immediately when the criminal investigation into the payment he received from Blatter went public.
“For them to do so now shows they’ve done so in the face of overwhelming pressure and evidence, not because they’ve done the right thing.”
Collins continued: “The difficulty Platini has got is even if no further action is taken – if there’s no contract to explain why he received that money, for him to have received it nine years after the contract ended, a few months before a FIFA presidential election – it will leave him compromised in the eyes of many people.
“He may not be charged with anything but it’s impossible for him to clear his name.”
The investigation surrounding Platini has left Sheikh Salman, the Asian Football Confederation president, in a strong position for the FIFA presidency after he received support from several European countries.
And he is qualified to lead FIFA? Platini says he has “never been good with finances.” Perfect. http://t.co/FsANssOm5j via @changeFIFA
— Joshua Nadel (@jhnadel) October 19, 2015
Salman’s potential candidacy would not be without controversy, however, given a number of questions he faces about human rights abuses in his native Bahrain, allegations he denies.
“If they were to throw their weight behind another FIFA insider like Salman, it would just show they don’t understand the need for real change and real reform led by someone new,” Collins said.
“Does FIFA need Salman? No it doesn’t, there are other people who can take that role. So why take that risk and not take someone who is a break from the past?”
Collins added: “I do not think he would be the right person. What would be a real shame is if the FA felt they had to jump on the fastest-moving bandwagon and backed him just because he was the new thing.”
The deadline for FIFA presidential nominations is October 26, but Collins believes the process must be put back.
“It’s impossible to see how the election can run now, with the nomination process due to close and with the expectation of more arrests being made.”
