Michel Platini Withdraw From FIFA Presidential Race

Michel Platini is giving up his bid to become the next FIFA president but remains determined to overturn the eight-year ban he was handed by FIFA's ethics committee last month, but that the deadline for the February 26 election is too short and renders his candidacy impossible.

Sepp Blatter and Platini were banned for eight years last month for conflict of interest in a £1.35m payment deal that is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland. A defiant Platini said: “I'm withdrawing from the race for FIFA presidency. The timing is not good for me. I don't have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. I have not been given the chance to play the game. Bye bye FIFA, bye bye FIFA presidency. I've spent more time in hearing rooms than on football pitches speaking about 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 or football news. I'm taking this philosophically, let's wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I'm trying to fight it. I have nothing to reproach myself with. I think they are making me pay for being UEFA president, I think the Zurich administration does not wish someone from UEFA to head FIFA. Because we are beautiful, we are big, we are rich, and we are the strongest”
 
Platini said he remains a strong supporter of Blatter, adding that  “He is a great personality. He has done many beautiful things in football. He also did bad things, certainly. I've supported him, I worked with him. I sincerely wish him to be at FIFA's congres to bid goodbye to FIFA”.