PLATINI WINS UEFA PRESIDENCY
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Michel Platini has won the UEFA presidential election in Dusseldorf ahead of rival Lennart Johansson, who has held the post for the last 16 years. The 51-year-old former French international has pledged to limit the number of Champions League places for a country to three.
PLATINI: "Italy, England, Germany and Spain should have three clubs each in the Champions League so that teams from other leagues that are not in the same financial bracket can compete with them on the pitch. There are not enough champions taking part in the competition. Yes to an open Champions League, no to a closed pseudo-NBA (America's basketball association).
Arsenal and Pool better start fighting hard for that 3rd place or they may not be in the Champions League next year. -
Platini is Blatter's mouthpiece and nothing more. At least Johansson has got some guts.
Blatter himself is getting senile, and should stand down. -
Arsenal jialat liao, scarly Platini want to impose his more "home-grown talent" rule.
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They need to play Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte on a regular basis.Originally posted by CoolMyth:Arsenal jialat liao, scarly Platini want to impose his more "home-grown talent" rule.
Hmm, dunno why Bayern Munich supremo Beckenbauer wasn't in the running for Uefa's top job. He belongs to the same league as Platini. -
Because Lennart Johansson was stanging so he didn't want to stand in his way. He is a supporter of Johansson.Originally posted by iveco:They need to play Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte on a regular basis.
Hmm, dunno why Bayern Munich supremo Beckenbauer wasn't in the running for Uefa's top job. He belongs to the same league as Platini. -
I hope he decides to throw his name into the hat when Platini's term runs out.Originally posted by zocoss:Because Lennart Johansson was stanging so he didn't want to stand in his way. He is a supporter of Johansson.
Hopefully Blatter's enemies take control of FIFA at the next congress. -
BECKENBAUER JOINS FIFA COMMITTEE
German World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer has been voted unopposed on FIFA's executive committee. The position makes the 61-year-old one of Germany's most influential football executives and can be seen as reward for his successful overseeing of the World Cup last summer.
Meanwhile, West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson failed in his bid to get re-election to the executive committee of European governing body UEFA. Magnusson had decided to step down as president of the Icelandic FA following his successful takeover of the Hammers but wanted to keep his seat on UEFA's ruling body.
However, with UEFA delegates wanting to keep the executive committee for national association heads rather than club chairmen, Magnusson was voted out.
Senes Erzik (Turkey), Angel Maria Villar Llona (Spain) and Joseph Mifsud (Malta) were re-elected while Mircea Sandu (Romania), Gilberto Madail (Portugal) and Grigoriy Surkis (Ukraine) were voted on as new members.
Villar Llona was elected unopposed as a FIFA vice-president. -
DUESSELDORF (Reuters) - Michel Platini won election as UEFA president on Friday, beating the long-serving Swede Lennart Johansson in a knife-edge ballot that was not decided until the final few votes were counted.
UEFA's 31st Congress chose Platini, the 51-year-old former French international, by 27 votes to 23. The decision brought to an end the 77-year-old Johansson's 17-year reign as the head of European football's governing body.
"I'm moved, enormously moved, but I am happy," said an emotional Platini in his acceptance speech. "This is the start of a great adventure."
Johansson looked stunned as he heard the result of the vote, which was decided when the final four ballot papers all went Platini's way. "It was 23-23 until the last four ballot papers were opened," a Platini aide told Reuters.
BLATTER BACKING
Platini, who declared after winning the election that Johansson would become UEFA's honorary president, was endorsed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on the eve of the vote, a move that infuriated Johansson. Platini should now enjoy a much closer working relationship with Blatter than Johansson ever had, although the Frenchman was careful to stress his independence.
"I've always said that I am my own man," Platini said. "Maybe Blatter won me some votes but he also could have lost me some." While Platini was backed by Blatter, Johansson was supported by powerful nations such as Germany and French Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes described it as a victory against the establishment.
"Michel went to see people in countries you're not used to going to," Escalettes told reporters. "He came here with fresh ideas. For once, a man and his ideas beat the establishment. That is terrific."
FUTURE PLANS
Platini's focus now will be on fine-tuning the Champions League, the lucrative competition that is dominated by clubs from the major leagues in western Europe. The new UEFA president said during his campaign that he would like to limit the number of teams from any league to three. At the moment England, Italy and Spain can have up to four of their teams involved.
Platini's victory also throws into doubt the future role of Swede Lars-Christer Olsson, who is UEFA's chief executive. Olsson is a close ally of Johansson and his position could be under threat. Olsson was quick to play down that option, telling a news conference: "When you work in a political arena like UEFA you do not choose who you work with -- that is Congress's decision."
Platini's position as UEFA president will give him a role as a vice-president on the FIFA executive committee. He was formerly an ordinary member. He will be joined on the committee by another former playing great, Franz Beckenbauer, who was elected by acclamation of the 52 national associations.
Six seats had become vacant on the UEFA executive committee and in a separate ballot Icelandic FA president Eggert Magnusson, the new chairman of West Ham United, was voted off.
UEFA gave the green light to a feasibility study, proposed by Scotland and Ireland, into the idea of increasing the number of teams at European Championship finals from 16 to 24. -
3 ucl teams from each country is stupid man.
must be because he's own france every year only can send out 3 teams right?
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Will make EPL 3rd placing a must for the big 4, either Arsenal or Liverpool will miss it. On the number of home grown players, it will make the league more boring cos how many talent can a country produce? If every 20 team in EPL need to have 8 home players, it add up 160 players, can you name me 100 good players in British? It will end up like Malaysia cup. I can only think of is he is trying to protect his own country interest.
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The big four English football clubs - Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - are looking forward to 2007 providing them with even more riches.
New revenue streams and investment capital for the quartet seem inevitable, as they look to match their on-field endeavours with new financial goals off it, maximising income from as many sources as possible. All four are in the second phase of the lucrative Champions League, and a new Premiership TV deal will kick in this year.
But a well-timed tackle from across the English Channel, in the form of ex-French international player Michel Platini, could later this month upset the financial plans of at least one of these major footballing brands.
In London Chelsea has been launching its new Chinese-language website as part its world domination plans, while Arsenal is reaping the extra ticket and hospitality income from its new, bigger, Emirates Stadium. In the North West, Liverpool is chasing a potentially lucrative takeover deal with Dubai International Capital (DIC), while at Manchester United the Glazers are still taking in the fact that the new TV Premiership deal goes well beyond their wildest expectations.
Platini, president of European football body Uefa manifesto will be causing some sleepless nights at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Anfield and Emirates Stadium. For part of his proposal is to reduce the number of Champions League positions available to a maximum of three per country.
"Let us introduce a maximum limit of three clubs qualifying directly from each country, to enable more nations to take part," midfielder-turned-administrator Mr Platini says. That would lead to the loss of one Champions League place each in England, Italy and Spain, which currently enjoy four slots, with the three places released available to other countries.
The Champions League is the money-making machine of modern football and it is crucially important for leading European clubs to be part of it. "The big four clubs should be very worried about this, even if any changes take time to implement.
"We have four big guns in England and someone is going to lose out on up to £30m a season now that Platini is elected."
As well as the lurking Champions League issue, other possible financial pitfalls face the big four.
At Liverpool, the proposed takeover has still to be completed and looks like becoming more of a Glazer-style deal - largely funded by debt, than an Abramovich-type deal, which sees a benefactor pouring limitless cash into the club. Whatever the final deal though, it appears it will not be the £450m straight equity injection that had initially been envisaged when DIC first expressed an interest.
Meanwhile Chelsea may be on the receiving end of Uefa proposals, in line with the recent Independent European Sports Review, to limit a club's wages to an as-yet-unspecified proportion of turnover. If Uefa take the issue to the EU, it could end the unlimited transfer budget available to Chelsea.
And Arsenal - which went heavily overdrawn to build its Emirates Stadium - and Manchester United, have to keep servicing their debts, which could leave them unable to financially compete for the services of the best global players.
Now all four are waiting to see if Platini - who says "I don't divide soccer between the rich and the poor" - is about to disrupt their income from Champions League football. -
Ditto for Germany. Luckily Beckenbauer's beloved Bayern Munchen always win Bundesliga.Originally posted by stellazio:3 ucl teams from each country is stupid man.
must be because he's own france every year only can send out 3 teams right? 
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this is dumb..if he nt happy france can only send 3 teams,
then might as well let france have 4 too... -
If you look at the past years last eight in UCL, they r made up of 3 countries teams, there is a reason why they put 4 teams from these 3 countries. Just like World Cup, why not put more Asia teams in.
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Platini plots Champions League changes
Michel Platini celebrated being voted in as the new UEFA president and then announced he will push ahead with controversial changes to the Champions League.
Platini, who won a tough contest against incumbent Lennart Johansson, will present proposals in April which from 2009-10 would limit the number of clubs in Europe's elite competition to three from any one country.
The Football Association and Premier League are expected to go to work to try to persuade Platini to maintain the status quo which allows England, Spain and Italy to have four clubs qualify.
Platini said: 'The new format of the Champions League is for 2009.
'I talked about finding a better equilibrium for the number of clubs and that's for 2009-10.
'The final decision will be (by UEFA's executive committee) in April so we have a few months still to see which way we will go, but I would like a better equilibrium, it is very close to my heart.
'If you are just talking about one club in England that doesn't convince me that it's not the right thing to do.'
Many of Platini's backers among the smaller European countries will certainly expect him to pursue that course.
In his final address to the 52 UEFA member associations, Johansson launched an angry attack at FIFA president Sepp Blatter who had publicly backed Platini at the opening of the Congress yesterday.
Johansson said: 'I appreciate the FIFA president's words about what we have achieved in the 17 years of my presidency but I cannot appreciate it when the FIFA president interferes in an election process here in UEFA.
'It's not the FIFA president, it is you the Congress taking the decision.'
FIFA president Sepp Blatter welcomed the win for Platini, who worked as his special adviser between 1998 and 2002. Blatter said: 'The result is no surprise to me. I'm happy I will be working with someone who has the same vision for football as I do.'
Johansson had appealed for support, saying: 'You should never change a winning team and I think I have been the coach of a winning team.'
Looks like Pool and Gunners can rest for now... The 3 places for English clubs won't happen till 2009. -
juz kick him out of UEFA
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Actually, it seems a good idea to cut one Spanish UCL spot and give it to the Dutch, and one English spot for another Scottish one.
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WENGER: PLATINI PROMISES UNDER THREAT
New UEFA president Michel Platini has been warned by fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger that he may not be able to deliver on his ambitions to change the Champions League. Platini, who won Friday's presidential election to oust Lennart Johansson from European football's top job, will present proposals in April which aim to eventually limit the number of clubs in Europe's elite competition to three from any one country.
Wenger said: "I am scared that he based his programme on something that he will not be able to deliver because he cannot decide that - that has to be voted [by UEFA's executive committee].
"I am surprised when people say 'yes that's what he promised' but he cannot deliver that. It can only be delivered if it is voted. "If it gets voted, we will all adapt and fight harder to be number three but I do not think it will change the destiny of the game."
Wenger, who worked under Platini's father at Ligue 1 club Nancy, believes the proposed changes helped him win the vote among UEFA countries by 27 to 23. He added: "I'm not surprised - the three big countries will vote against you, they will vote for Johansson. "But you get Andorra, Serbia and the rest and that's the best calculation he made.
"I know him very, very well and I like him as a person. He is a very intelligent person, he loves football and I've known Platini for 30 years. "His father was influential on my career and had a big influence on his son as well."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also spoke out against changing the current Champions League set-up. Ferguson said: "The only way you could get rid of the fourth team is by reducing the competition or bringing in more teams from other countries. "The way it is at the moment, with the top countries entering their top teams, you get some fantastic games. "It is a fantastic tournament and you are playing all the best teams. I don't think a lot needs to be done to it."
The Football Association and Premier League are expected to try to persuade Platini to maintain the status quo which allows England, Spain and Italy to have four teams qualify for Europe's premier club competition.
Platini said: "The new format of the Champions League is for 2009. "I talked about finding a better equilibrium for the number of clubs and that's for 2009-10.
"The final decision will be in April so we have a few months still to see which way we will go, but I would like a better equilibrium - it is very close to my heart.