FIFA is investigating a "smear campaign" against UEFA President Michel Platini "allegedly orchestrated from the office" of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. FIFA confirmed on Monday it would probe claims a member of Blatter's staff authored a dossier on Platini which was heavily critical of the favorite to "succeed the Swiss as its president." The document, entitled "Platini -- skeleton in the closet," was allegedly sent to several media organizations from FIFA's Zurich HQ. Reports of its existence prompted UEFA to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. In addition to Valcke, UEFA said it had also sent its complaint to Cornel Borbely, a Swiss attorney who is FIFA's independent chief ethics investigator, and FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Independent Chair Domenico Scala, the chair of FIFA's ad-hoc electoral committee (TELEGRAPH, 8/17). REUTERS' Simon Evans reported the existence of the dossier on Platini "has also been reported in the Swiss media." FIFA will hold an election on Feb. 26 to choose a replacement for Blatter, who said in June he was standing down from his role. Platini "is the current front runner in the election but his relationship with Blatter has deteriorated badly" (REUTERS, 8/17). BLOOMBERG's Tariq Panja reported German newspaper Welt am Sonntag described the document as an article that "paints a negative image" of Platini and questions his suitability to replace Blatter. UEFA said, "This spurious story is the latest in a series of attempts from Zurich to distract the world from the real problems that FIFA faces" (BLOOMBERG, 8/17).
