Sepp Blatter had told Michel Platini to back him for the FIFA presidential elections during the UEFA’s congress in March 2011 and handed him £1.35m by the sport’s governing body.
Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam was opposition to Blatter as the two were running for the president of FIFA. The latter wanted the Frenchman to support him for the post and he assured Platini that it will be his last term for the post, if he wins the election.
According to The Guardian, UEFA chief wanted to run for the FIFA presidential election this term and Blatter wanted Platini to back him last term so that he can make a way for Platini to contest in the upcoming elections.
Platini held secret talks with Blatter and pledged his support. He and UEFA’s executive committee declared support to the Swiss man in May 2011. Later that month Bin Hammam withdrew as a candidate after corruption allegations were made against him.
Should, Bin Hammam had won in 2011, the Qatari could have contested for his second term and that would have weakened Platini’s position when he would have contested for the top post in the sport.
Platini has already been suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee, along with Blatter and Jérôme Valcke for 90 days for their pending investigation. Michael Lauber, the Swiss attoreny general has started a criminal investigation against Blatter for his role in convincing Platini to back him for the elections. The latter is a suspect for providing information in the meantime.
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