UEFA President Michel Platini "has refused to rule out European teams boycotting the World Cup" if FIFA President Sepp Blatter remains as president, according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. He ruled out boycotting Friday’s congress but said that if Blatter won a fifth term "then all options remained open," including turning its back on the FIFA exec committee or even refusing to play in the World Cup. Former ManU CEO David Gill, who was due to take up a vice presidency on the FIFA exec committee on Friday, has said that "he will not take up the position if Blatter wins." Gill: "I was delighted when UEFA voted me in. What’s changed my mind? Seismic events yesterday. Joining [FIFA] would be futile and that would not be right for me" (GUARDIAN, 5/28). In London, Martin Samuel wrote Platini's stand was "a remarkable sight." He continued, "Michel Platini as the good guy. UEFA's president making a public stand that could, one day, effect positive change in world football." If Blatter wins, "Platini will instigate a discussion that could remove UEFA from world football. This may be the crisis that makes Blatter’s position untenable. Not throughout the rest of the game. Those discredited Blatter cronies at CAF, for instance, are arrogant enough to think a World Cup could go ahead without Europe. But the sponsors wouldn’t fall for it" (DAILY MAIL, 5/28).
TAKE SOME TIME: REUTERS' John Irish wrote French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday it "would make sense" to delay Friday's vote to elect a new FIFA president in light of the latest corruption investigation. He said time "was needed to establish exactly what was going on." Fabius: "It's been several years that there have been accusations of corruption. It would make sense to take a bit of time, see what is true and not and then the authorities can adjudicate, but for now, it's giving a disastrous image" (REUTERS, 5/28). In Sydney, Bossi & Miller wrote Football Federation of Australia will vote to oust Blatter "in the wake of the latest corruption scandal that has led to seven senior football officials being arrested over allegations of bribery." In a statement released on Thursday night, Australia's football hierarchy announced that "they will throw their support behind Blatter's only challenger," Jordanian Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, should the FIFA presidential election take place on Friday as per schedule (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/28). REUTERS' Ian Ransom wrote the Asian Football Confederation has re-affirmed its support for Blatter "and pushed for Friday's presidential election to go ahead despite the corruption scandal." The AFC, which represents 47 member nations, "has been a staunch ally of the 79-year-old Swiss and the bloc's support will be vital for his hopes of clinging to the presidency for a fifth term" (REUTERS, 5/28).
