Platini gets new term as Uefa boss

23 March 2011 - 08:36
By Reuters

PARIS - Uefa president Michel Platini was re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term yesterday, pledging to continue his efforts to bring club spending under control and fight match-fixing and crowd violence.

The former France captain, in a speech earlier yesterday, also promised to make international football a priority and to keep the Champions League open to clubs from the smaller of Europe's 53 associations.

The Frenchman, who has been in charge of European soccer's governing body since 2007, was voted in at the Uefa congress, where he was given a standing ovation. The 55-year-old former Nancy, St Etienne and Juventus player, the only candidate to register before the deadline on December 16, was visibly moved by the reception.

"I thought I was old enough not to get so emotional," he said.

Platini has pledged to implement his so-called Financial Fair Play policy that is aimed at making clubs live within their means. Those who do not comply could be barred from European competition from 2014/15.

"Financial fair play is a crucial project that will enable us to clean up certain practices within our game," said Platini, who also sits on Fifa's executive committee, at the start of the congress.

"There is a huge amount of money in football, but more importantly there is a moral problem in the way this money is sometimes generated and used."