Platini considering running for Fifa presidency against incumbent Sepp Blatter

Michel Platini's decision on whether to run for the Fifa presidency in 2015 will be made without considering the plans of incumbent Sepp Blatter, the Uefa chief said yesterday.

Fifa president Blatter, 77, said two years ago that he was starting his fourth and last term but the Swiss recently indicated he could seek another four years in charge if that was necessary to lead the governing body’s reform process.

"I don't know (what Blatter is going to decide). At first, he said that he would quit in 2015. Now, he has been saying that he will talk next year in Brazil," the former France and Juventus playmaker Platini told French daily L'Equipe.

My decision
"I will make my decision on my own, without taking Sepp into consideration."

The 58-year-old Platini, a strong critic of some of Fifa’s latest changes, including the introduction of technology to help referees, said he had not yet made up his mind whether to stand.

“I am thinking about whether it’s good or not. I have to persuade myself, like I did before my Uefa presidential bid, that I want to go to Fifa,” he said.

“I will definitely say something in Dubrovnik,” he added, referring to the Croatian sea resort where Uefa will hold an executive committee meeting next month.

“People would fight to get the job of president of Fifa. I won’t. I just have to assess if it’s a good thing for soccer. I’m not interested in the position for the sake of it. I have to persuade myself that it’s my destiny,” added Platini.