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FIFA crisis: Michel Platini tells Sepp Blatter to quit

Michel Platini: UEFA president told Sepp Blatter the time has come to quit FIFA
Image: Michel Platini: UEFA president told Sepp Blatter the time has come to quit FIFA

Michel Platini says he tried and failed to persuade Sepp Blatter to quit before Friday's FIFA presidential election.

The UEFA boss flew into Zurich having been left "sickened" by the dramatic events of Wednesday and personally told his old friend the time had come to step down.

Blatter refused, and the election will now go ahead as scheduled against the backdrop of two separate criminal investigations into FIFA-related corruption.

UEFA initially said it supported postponing the vote in the wake of Wednesday's revelations, but president Platini emerged from a meeting of his member associations on Thursday and declared "a big, big, big majority" had instead decided to throw its weight behind Prince Ali bin Al Hussein.

And there was an ominous warning for Blatter when the Frenchman was asked about UEFA's plans should Blatter win re-election.

Asked whether UEFA might consider boycotting FIFA and its tournaments altogether, Platini said: "UEFA associations will meet in Berlin next week. We will be open to all options. There may be proposals. I honestly don't wish that."

Platini also lifted the lid on an earlier meeting between Blatter and the heads of FIFA's six continental confederations, convened in an emergency after seven officials were arrested on Wednesday as part of a United States-led investigation.

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Chief News Reporter Bryan Swanson brings you the latest from Zurich

He said: "I asked (Blatter) for a face-to-face meeting, and I said, 'Look Sepp, we started at FIFA in 1998, and for the future of FIFA, I am here to ask you to leave, to resign'. I speak like a friend with him. He said it was too late.

"A big, big, big majority of the European associations will vote for Prince Ali. People have had enough, they don't want this president any more."

That view was endorsed in emphatic style by David Gill, the former Manchester United chief executive due to become Britain's representative among FIFA vice-presidents.

Gill revealed on Thursday he would not be taking up his post in the event of a Blatter victory.

In the meantime battle lines have been drawn as far afield as Downing Street and the Kremlin ahead of the vote, Vladimir Putin announcing Russia's continued support for Blatter and a spokesman for David Cameron confirming the Prime Minister is backing the Football Association's pro-Prince Ali stance.

FA chairman Greg Dyke told Sky Sports News HQ in Zurich there is genuine belief the Jordanian can now prevent Blatter winning a fifth term as president.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter delivers his speech at the UEFA Congress in Vienna
Image: Sepp Blatter: Facing election contest on Friday

He said: "Prince Ali was pretty confident before the events of yesterday. I suspect he's even more confident now. I think Prince Ali could win, in which case we've achieved what we came here to do which is to say goodbye to Mr Blatter."

His optimism is shared by his Scottish FA counterpart Stewart Regan, who said: "Prince Ali has now come into focus and from conversations in the UEFA hotel last night is being seen as a very credible candidate - and a potential candidate to unite other confederations as well."

Australia, part of the pro-Blatter Asian Football Confederation, has also come out in support of Prince Ali.

A statement from the Football Federation of Australia read: "FFA believes that profound change within FIFA is needed as soon as possible to address issues of governance and transparency."

But Blatter can count on the continued support of the Confederation of African Football, which has pledged to back the president en masse and on Thursday said the election should go ahead as planned.

CONCACAF, the federation representing North and Central America, says it opposes a boycott.

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Greg Dyke, chairman of the Football Association, believes the FIFA presidential election should still go ahead as Prince Ali has a viable chance of winning

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