Former president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini spoke about a conspiracy that deprived him of the chance to become president of the International Football Federation (FIFA).
"The last 10 years have been very difficult because of what my family has gone through: they see what is written in the newspapers, what people say about you, what is discussed around the world. But I was never worried about the final decision because I knew I was innocent, I knew that in the end, nothing would remain of the accusations. I always felt good.
I was destined to become FIFA president. Everything happened because they did not want that. The ban was a great injustice and had a political undertone overall. A group of people decided to 'kill' me.
This administration, people I did not know, did not want another president. They were well-fed, they could make a lot of money, and I was not needed by them — they were afraid I would change something. They were afraid of me," Platini told The Guardian.
The French official served as UEFA president from 2007 to 2015 until FIFA's ethics committee banned him from football activities for eight years. This decision was made after Platini was accused of corruption.
In 2022, Platini was acquitted by a Swiss court of charges of fraud and mismanagement.
